Knights' Battlefront part 1
by Designed Metal
Summary: After the Britainnians took over Japan, turning it into Area 11, former Prince Lelouch vi Britannia vows to create a world where his little sister Nunnally can live in happiness. While Lelouch leads the Black Knights to fight the Britainnians as Zero, he receives word that the Magic Knights is secretly waging wars against the Britannians from another alternate world called Cephiro.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass or Magic Knight Rayearth**

 ***Both animes are owned by Clamp***

 ***Don't forget to write some nice reviews to my first story, thank you***

Prologue: Fall of Japan

On a bright morning, in the middle of a grassy field surrounded by big sunflowers and a forest, two young boys and a little girl, who happened to be childhood friends, climbed up a small, rocky hill.

One boy happens to have brown hair and dark green eyes. He was wearing a pink T-shirt with a yellow necktie and dark-blue pants. He was able to run up the hill without any difficult. He goes by the name Suzaku Kururugi

At the same time, a red-haired girl ran up the same hill that the first boy was on top of without having any trouble. She had a ponytail tied up with a small red ribbon at the back of her head and is wearing a dark-red tank-top and a dark-red skirt. Her name happens to be Hikaru Shidou.

As for the second boy however, he had difficulty climbing up the hill. The second boy had black hair and purple eyes. He was wearing a white, beige T-shirt and light-blue pants. Upon looking up at the first boy on top of the hill, the second boy reached up with his right hand and held onto the first boy's hand as they pulled each other up to the top of the hill while the little girl behind them smiled and waved at them, telling them to come over to her side. His name is none other than Lelouch Lamperouge.

While Suzaku and Lelouch came up to Hikaru, unknown to them that they were all being watched by a mysterious green-haired woman with golden eyes.

In an instant, the three young children heard a rumbling noise from a distance. As they all turned around, they see a fleet of ships appear in front of a mountain in a distance.

* * *

C.C POV:

 _It is August 10th in the year 2010 of the Imperial Calendar. The Holy Britannian Empire declared war upon Japan. The island nation in the Far East, argued for the country's neutrality and Britannia, the world's powerful nation. Their dispute involved Japanese's underground resources and diplomatic tensions between them were deep-rooted._

 _As they battled for the Japanese mainland, the Britannian forces unleashed a humanoid autonomous battle, armored knight, known as the "Knightmare Frame."_

 _With the use of such ingenious, technological weaponry, the Japanese forces were defeated by Britannia's Knightmares in less than a week._

 _After Britannia took over Japan, they stripped the Japanese citizens of their freedom, their rights, and their name, transforming it into Area 11._

* * *

After the destruction, the three children find themselves surrounded by buildings that were reduced to rubble or into nothingness. Behind the children, a funeral pyre was seen nearby a low wall of stone. In front of the pyre, a military officer stood by and saluted to his fallen comrades, which were being cremated before his very eyes.

As Suzaku and Hikaru are sitting across from each other with their backpacks right next to them, Lelouch stood in-between them with anger in his eyes. Just when Hikaru and Suzaku turned towards where Lelouch is at, he makes his vow in front of them both.

"I swear! Hikaru, Suzaku, I swear! One day I'll obliterate Britannia!"


	2. Distress Call from Cephiro

***This will be considered as an alternate timeline that takes place after the events from the Rayearth series and throughout the Code Geass series, where I'll be making a few changes that's not part of the canon Code Geass. Enjoy the story!***

Chapter 1: Distress Call from Cephiro

Opening Theme 1:

 _To Change The World And Myself_

 _I Need To Believe In What I Can Achieve_

 _And That Belief Is Always And Forever In Me_

 _This World Is Getting Worse To My Dismay_

 _And I Simply Looked The Other Way_

 _No Longer I Falter, No Longer_

 _I Worry No Longer_

 _I Tremble No Longer_

 _'Cause Now I must Choose_

 _When You Gave Me The Courage_

 _To Stand And Take Action_

 _You Gave Me What I Cannot Lose_

 _One Time My Soul Was As Dark As The Night_

 _But Then You Entered My Soul With Your Light_

 _I See The Sun, My Heart Knows No Limits_

 _Today, I Shall Live A Life Anew_

 _I'll Open Up All My Windows_

 _To See The Sky That's So Blue_

 _To Change The World And Myself_

 _I Need To Believe In What I Can Achieve_

 _And That Belief Is Always And Forever In Me_

* * *

In the present time:

 _Hikaru's POV:_

 _Hi everyone, my name is Hikaru Shidou, 17 years old and is attending Ashford Academy after I graduated from my Junior High School._

 _It has been seven years since the Holy Britannian Empire has controlled Area 11 as part of their territory. During that time, it was also three years ago when me, along with two other female elevens, have been summoned in Cephiro, the Land of Will. I maybe just an ordinary eleven living in the Tokyo Settlement while being watched by the Britannians, but in Cephiro, I happened to be a Magic Knight of Fire._

 _Despite me being a Magic Knight, I decided to keep this a secret to myself, along with my other friends, Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Houoji. They happened to be the Magic Knights of Water and Wind. When we first had our adventures in Cephiro, we came across all sorts of encounters and fought various villains and monsters. To make matters even better, some of those villains became friends and allies of ours as well. We all had a really great time in Cephiro. Unfortunately, at the end of our first adventure, we were being forced to kill the very same person that summoned us to Cephiro to become the Magic Knights, Princess Emeraude. As their pillar, Emeraude was being forced to support Cephiro with the strength of her willpower. Because of this, she could not fall in love with anyone but the land itself. However, her love for High Priest Zagato has gotten stronger without any of us knowing it. After we brought Zagato down to his knees, the Princess went mad and started attacking us out of retribution. Sadly, we couldn't hold back our fight against her any longer. After we killed Princess Emeraude, we Magic Knights went back to our world in tears._

 _Despite the tragic tale of how Princess Emeraude, the pillar of Cephiro, met her end, we did not give up hope for our beloved land of will. The second time we came to Cephiro was when we faced off various invaders from three other countries: Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren. After several battles with them, their leaders eventually yielded to our allegiance. However, our war to save Cephiro was still far from over. Another evil force rose up from the darkness in which was created by the hearts of the frightened people of Cephiro. That was when we faced off Lady Debonair and Nova, a warrior girl who's a lot like me and fights the same way that I fight. It turns out that Nova was my missing piece of my heart. Not that it matters anymore; my friends and I were able to defeat both of them._

 _During our battles in Cephiro, it was believed that I was destined to become the next pillar of Cephiro. At first, my friends were worried that I might get caught up with what Princess Emeraude had been through. But I made up my mind. After we defeated Debonair in battle, I decided to rid Cephiro of the Pillar System, letting its inhabitants rebuild their land without my aid. Of course, my wish became true and that Cephiro was saved once again and the Cephirians praised and congratulated us for our heroism before we went back to our world. After that, Umi, Fuu, and I decided to live the rest of our lives as Elevens in the Tokyo Settlement. Just like me, Umi and Fuu attended the Ashford Academy as well, regaining our friendship there and making friends with some of the Britannian students there. We thought for sure that after Britannia took over Japan, we believed that they would stop there and live in peace with the rest of us elevens, despite those foolish rebellions that they were throwing at the Britannians. What we didn't know is that the Britannians were somehow able to bridge a connection from Cephiro to Area 11._

* * *

It was a bright new day in Area 11. A lovely young woman name Hikaru Shidou was about to get up to start another day with her friends at Ashford Academy. Despite her being the shortest of the Eleven trio, Hikaru happens to be a headstrong girl that can get reckless in a one many ways. For a long time, she does Kendo with her three elder brothers, teaching her on how to use swords and protective equipment. But in Cephiro, she knew that she was able to do more than just Kendo. Thanks to Master Mage Clef, Hikaru was given the power to wield Fire and Lighting Magic. During her travels in Cephiro, Hikaru was granted the power to don a mighty, armored immersive robotic being known as a Rune God. Hers is Rayearth. As for Umi and Fuu, they gained the power to don the Rune Gods of Water and Wind: Selece and Windam. Rune Gods been helping the three elevens fight off bigger enemies, including evil rune gods brought forth by Emeraude, Zagato, Nova, and Debonair. But now that Cephiro is at peace, Hikaru and her friends have no need to don their Rune Gods into battle anymore.

As soon as Hikaru got up on her two legs, she was wearing yellow Pajamas while walking towards her dresser. Before she was able to get dressed, Hikaru spots a small, flashing light coming from one of her drawers.

"I wonder who could it be?" Hikaru asked to herself.

Just when Hikaru went up to her dresser, she pulled it out with both of her hands and reached underneath her clothes. As soon as she pulled her hands out of the drawer, Hikaru took out a golden pendant. It had a small mirror with jewels surrounding it. She had that pendant for a long time. Ever since she came back to Cephiro for the second time, Hikaru met a young, tall and handsome man dressed in black. His name is Lantis the magic swordsman of Cephiro. Remembering her time with him, Hikaru fell deeply in love with Lantis. However, she wasn't able to confess her love towards Lantis because from what Captain Lafarga of the Cephirian Guard said, he was Zagato's younger brother, the very man that Hikaru killed in order to save Princess Emeraude. Ultimately, Lantis never blamed Hikaru for such intent because he blamed mostly on how Cephiro was being controlled by the Pillar System earlier. It was Lantis who gave Hikaru that golden pendant for her to wear, saying it granted her the power of protection. It was three years ago since Hikaru last saw Lantis. Even though he lives in Cephiro and Hikaru lives in Area 11, she still was happy that she was able to be with the man that she loves.

While Hikaru held the pendant with her right hand, it was emitting a small golden aura. Before Hikaru knew what was going on, the pendant shot out a harmless beam at the wooden floor, revealing a small screen of Clef. Upon seeing Clef again, Hikaru couldn't tell if she were to be excited or relieved to see the Master Mage again.

"Clef, it's been a long time. How's it going back in Cephiro?" Hikaru asked.

"I know I have a lot I want to say, but now is not the time for it!" Clef responded in a solemn tone.

"What do you mean?" Hikaru asked, concerning for the Master Mage.

"An unknown fleet of ships appeared in Cephiro's airspace, we already ordered all citizens to evacuate to the Castle for safety measures," Clef explained. "We may need your help in dealing with these unknown invaders. I don't know what they're up to right now but I have a very bad feeling that it won't be good. "

"What should I do, Clef?" Hikaru asked.

"Let Umi and Fuu know about this too and head to Cephiro as soon as you're ready," Clef instructed Hikaru. "I'll explain to you what will be done first once you get there."

After making his last speech, the screen started fading away along with Clef before disappearing from plain view. As the light disappeared from Hikaru's pendant, she knew what she had to do. After a few seconds of standing around, Hikaru put the pendant around her neck, dressed up, and ate breakfast before meeting up with her friends at Ashford Academy.

* * *

At the Ashford Academy, Umi and Fuu are waiting for Hikaru inside the school in the cafeteria. Just like Hikaru, they're both 17 years old. They were both wearing Ashford School Uniforms. The moment they went to find a table, they met up with the other Britannian students, Rivalz Cardemonde, Nina Einstein, Shirley Fenette, and Madam School President Milly Ashford. At first, when Umi and Fuu met them, Milly made a couple of silly jokes about them being Elevens, much to Umi's annoyance. They may be Britannians, but Umi, Fuu, and Hikaru were able to warm up to them after their secretive adventures in Cephiro, believing that they can be reasoned with, the same way they reasoned with Princess Aska of Fahren, Geo Metro from Autozam, and Tarta and Tatra of Chizeta. For three years, Hikaru and her friends were able to attend to most of the school events throughout their first and second years in Ashford Academy. Today is different because, President Ashford had to go over her paperwork in the Student Council Office while Nina, Shirley, and Rivalz went to reorganize the papers in the file cabinets there.

Umi was seen as a 17-year old girl with long, smooth blue hair. As for Fuu, she had short-golden hair and is wearing glasses on her face. However, every time Fuu donned her Rune God, Windam, she was not seeing wearing her glasses at the moment. As Umi and Fuu went sitting down at the Cafeteria drinking tea, Lelouch Lamperouge from was watching them across the table. "Hey girls, what are two up to?" Lelouch asked Umi and Fuu.

"Well, nothing usual Mr. Lelouch," Fuu answered sheepishly. "We're just waiting for Ms. Hikaru to drop by, that's all.

"Oh really?" Lelouch asked Fuu further.

"I wonder what will Britannia will do during the time Area 11 is under their occupation?" Fuu asked to herself. "Not that I'm worried about the future of our families. I'm just wondering if there's a chance they would peacefully co-exist with us elevens in the future."

"Oh come on, Fuu! I seriously doubt they would co-exist peacefully with the rest of the Elevens." Umi grunted in dismay. "I mean, did you hearing about the latest news headlines? It has been several days since the Black Knights rose up from the ashes and lead the other Elevens to attack the Britannians on sight."

"Yes I have, Ms. Umi," Fuu answered. "They may be terrorists fighting against the Britannians, but as long as the Black Knights don't cause any trouble in Ashford, we'll be fine here. Right Mr. Lelouch?"

"Uh, yeah sure Fuu," Lelouch replied nervously.

Unknown to Umi and Fuu, Lelouch was secretly leading the Order of the Black Knights in rebelling against the Holy Britannian Empire as his paramilitary force. During that time, he kept his identity away from both the Elevens and the Britannians, along with his friends and his sister Nunally. As the leader of the Black Knights, Lelouch goes by the secret alias "Zero," the masked hero dressed in a black cape. As he spreads his rebellion, his main purpose was to unify Japan as an independent country. However, what no one knows is that Lelouch was doing all of this just to let Nunnally live in a world of happiness, trying to leave the rest of his brothers and sisters out of this, such as Viceroy Cornelia, Prince Clovis, Princess Euphemia, and Prince Schneizel.

"If Britannia hadn't came to Japan, what kind of future will you two will go for?" Lelouch asked Umi and Fuu.

"Me, Hikaru, and Fuu all want to live in a land where we can be with the people that we love, protect, care about and be happy about it," Umi responded to Lelouch after taking another sip from her teacup. "I mean, Hikaru, Fuu, and I came a long way in trying to achieve our wishes, regardless of our pride and our glory. As long as we're together, there won't be any challenges that we cannot face and no obstacles that will stand in our way."

"Is that so?" Lelouch asked Umi. "Well ever since my mother died, it left my dear sister Nunnally traumatized and rendering blind to everything around her. Not to mention that she can't move around without her wheelchair."

"We're so sorry to hear that, Mr. Lelouch!" Fuu said as she sympathized the exiled Britannian Prince. "Tell me, why did you abandon your regality when you were in the Britannian Royal Family?"

"Fuu, I maybe the 17th heir to the Britannian Throne, but I could not stand my father being so incompetent in not protecting mother from her killers," Lelouch responded in a depressed tone. "When I gave up my lineage, my father exiled me and my sister to Area 11 as political hostages."

"When you met Hikaru during the time you and Suzaku were both kids, what did you think of her now over the years?" Umi asked, remembering that Hikaru told both her and Fuu that she used to play with Lelouch and Suzaku during their childhood days.

"Well, I may not be as strong as Hikaru and Suzaku are, but it was thanks to them that I'm able to open up to most of the Japanese outside of school," Lelouch said while feeling relieved at the moment. "Though, I still wanted to find a way to change the world along with Hikaru, Nunnally, and Suzaku. However, since Suzaku is in the Britannian Military, I may have more difficulty in trying to reason with him."

"Is it because he happens to be an honorary Britannian?!" Hikaru asked Lelouch as she appeared from the doorway leading to the school's cafeteria.

Upon seeing Hikaru appear before them, now dress in her school uniform, Umi was startled by her speech as she jumped up from her seat like a frightened little rabbit.

"Dammit, Hikaru! Don't scare me like that!" Umi shrieked as she started hyperventilating.

"Sorry about that, Umi." Hikaru apologized, feeling a bit embarrassed, before sitting next to Fuu Houoji, putting her backpack underneath the tables. "I was just curious in where is Suzaku heading towards."

"Well, I remember him telling me once, that Suzaku's dream was to change the world from the inside," Lelouch explained to Hikaru and the other two female Elevens.

Before anyone could say anything, Lelouch's phone started ringing while inside the pocket of his school uniform.

"Excuse me ladies, I just received a phone call from my other friends," Lelouch told the three Elevens.

As Lelouch held up his phone next to his right ear, he walked out of the Cafeteria and into the hallway. But for Hikaru, she ordered her two friends to have a private conversation with them.

"Girls, there's something I want to tell you both and its best that we make sure that no one hears us," Hikaru said in a grim tone of voice.

Upon hearing what Hikaru just said, she picked up her backpack, led Umi and Fuu out of the cafeteria, and went to a nearby storage area before explaining to them what Clef told her this morning. After several minutes of hearing Hikaru's speech, Umi and Fuu could not help but sit next to her speechless. Before Hikaru could say anymore, Umi steps in to make her conversation.

"So, let me get this straight, Clef foresees another warning back in Cephiro and that he need our help once again to deal with this unknown invasion?" Umi asked.

"Yes, Umi!" Hikaru replied in a serious tone. "Clef will explain to us what we will be up against as soon as we get to Cephiro. But we'll do it after school so that we won't raise any suspicion from the other students."

"Understood, Ms. Hikaru," Fuu acknowledged the red-haired girl's request.

As soon as they're done with their private conversation, the three girls left the storage room and head to their designated classes. Unbeknownst to them, another female student was watching them from behind, with suspicion in her eyes. She had short red-hair and is wearing a female school uniform. Her name happens to be Kallen Stadfeld, who is secretly who of the Black Knights serving under Zero and is the pilot of Nightmare Frame Guren Type-02. Little did everyone know, that her real name is Kallen Kozuki one of the rebels fighting against Britannia. Despite her suspicions over Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, Kallen did not wish that whatever they up to has anything to do with Britannia or with Japan. After seeing them leave for class, Kallen could not help but wonder what will the three Japanese women were really up to.

"I don't know why, but for some reason those girls are up to something that may give us Black Knights are fair advantage of taking back what was rightfully ours from those filthy Britannians," Kallen muttered to herself before going to her designated class.


	3. Viletta's Assault, Rayearth's Warning

Chapter 2: Viletta's Assault, Rayearth's Warning

Lelouch's POV:

 _It was a few weeks ago since I, as Zero, helped rescued most of my friends and my sister Princess Euphemia from the Japan Liberation Front. After that, I founded the Order of the Black Knights. They happened to be a group of terrorists, insurgents, resistance members, and civilians that I have recruited in order to protect those without power back in Area 11. Throughout most of our time, I have been carrying out orders to the Black Knights with carefully planned strategies out onto the battlefield. Our missions have been ranged from ambushing and neutralizing Britannian forces, destroying various drug cartels, and rescuing innocent people in Area 11. But for me, since I'm still obsessed in learning about my mother's death, I planned to capture Corenlia and several of my siblings for interrogation._

 _Before I became Zero, I got entangled with the terrorists in Area 11 after winning over another game of chess with the Britannian nobles. The terrorists were carrying some mysterious cargo. At first, I thought it was poisonous gas. But when the cargo opened up, a green-haired girl appeared before me, restrained in a straightjacket. Before I could do anything, I was met with a squad of Britannian Royal Guards, all armed to the teeth as they aimed at me with their assault rifles. Just when they're about to shoot me, leaving no witnesses, the girl's eyes changed color, revealing a static-purple, with a small bird-like feature shooting at my face but not before she was shot at in the head and lay dead in front of me. Before I knew what was going on, the girl told me that I have been granted the power of Geass. My Geass allows me to command others to do my bidding once, erasing the memories of their past actions. As I ordered the guards kill themselves with my Geass, I came up with a brilliant idea of leading the rebellion against my father and his forces for the sake of my sister Nunnally. After I hijacked an Sutherland, who happens to be one of Britannia's Knightmare Frames that belonged to a Britannia Baroness, I helped Kallen and the Rebels fight back against the Britannians. Just when things are going well for the rebels, the Britannian Military was given the order to withdraw from the battlefield and return to Clovis' base. I didn't know what was going on, but I heard rumors that my brother Prince Clovis was sent to another mysterious world for an unknown mission. During the present time, after I founded the Black Knights, I did sent some of my scouts for information on what Clovis is up to._

 _From what I learned from my scouts during our Black Knight Campaign, Emperor Charles vi Britannia, my father, was able to have his best engineers to construct a massive rift gate that bridges a permanent connection to a whole new world that is not of Japan. As far as my father could tell, this new world that he was speaking of is filled with raw magical energy that may help improve the technology that Britannia has to offer giving the Holy Britannia Empire more power than ever before. Despite their efforts, the inhabitants of this new world refuses to give in to the Britannians for they made an immediate counterattack at first sight. Some were carrying weapons from that of a medieval age, others were shooting out strange powers at the Britannians, while others brought forth monstrous beasts and giant robots rivaling to that of their Knightmare Frames before doing battle against them. I hope I can get answers to see what kind of new world they were dealing with. As for the girl that gave me my Geass, she wasn't actually dead like I thought she was. It turns out that the girl happens to be an immortal witch that was binding by the Geass centuries ago named C.C._

* * *

As I held my cell phone up to my ear, the caller is addressing me as Zero.

"Zero, we have just received word that Prince Clovis and his forces has proceeded into the alternate world from the rift gate in the Britannain Government Bureau," The Black Knight spoke through Lelouch's cell phone.

"Send Kallen Kozuki and C.C to recon the area surrounding the world that Clovis is in and tell them not engage," Lelouch ordered his subordinate.

"Understood," The caller responded before ending the call.

After Lelouch puts his cell phone away, he walks up to a nearby window and stared straight up into the sky, thinking about what will ever become of his destiny now, since he failed to interrogate Clovis at Area 11. Could it be that something else is getting the Britannians their attention other than just the Black Knights? Or is it that the Britannians wanted more than just Japan to serve under their rule?

"I hope that I can get the answers I seek very soon," Lelouch muttered to himself as he walks away from the windows before heading to class.

* * *

Meanwhile, after school, Hikaru lead Umi and Fuu up to the Tokyo Tower, the very same place where they started from when they first arrived at Cephiro. By the time they reached up to the top floor, all three girls are carrying their duffel bags with straps over their shoulders before making preparations in going back to Cephiro.

"So girls, are you all ready to go back to Cephiro?" Hikaru asked as she turned around to face Umi and Fuu.

"Yes we are, Hikaru," Umi replied in a happy tone. "I can't wait to see Clef and Ascot again. I missed them so much."

"Yeah same here, Ms. Hikaru," Fuu replied as she giggled. "I was hoping Ferio will be surprised to see me again. I'm sure you missed hanging around with Mr. Lantis, right?"

"Yeah, I do Fuu," Hikaru replied in a cheerful tone of voice. "Let's do it, girls."

As Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu hold hands together, Hikaru makes a magical chant in a whispered tone, wishing that she and her friends go to Cephiro. Hikaru may have abolished the Pillar System, setting herself free from its tragic bonds. However, because she still has a strong willpower, Hikaru will still be dedicated to aid and protect the Cephirians from any danger that comes in their way as the New Pillar of Cephiro. After a few minutes of silence, a huge bright light engulfed the entire floor inside the Tokyo Tower. In an instant, the floor below the three vanished, sending the girls falling straight down screaming their heads off once again.

"HIKARU, DO SOMETHING!" Umi screamed as she held onto her duffle bag.

Before Hikaru could use her Pillar magic to do anything, a Giant Flying Fish appeared before them. As the Magic Knights landed on top of it, Umi was the first to recognize that Master Mage Clef summoned the Flying Fish, just like what he did when they last arrived in Cephiro, much to her relief. As the Flying Fish entered the Castle, all three high school girls jumped off and were immediately greeted by Ferio, Lantis, and Ascot. Upon seeing them all again, Hikaru and Fuu were being embraced by their loved ones. As for Umi, she greeted Ascot with a hand shaken and a hug.

Upon seeing Hikaru again, Lantis was relieved that she was doing alright back at the world that she came from. He was a tall, young man clad in black armor, with grey linings. He had a golden circlet around his head and a black cape on his back. On his holster, Lantis had a grey sword grip. Every time Lantis draws out his sword it activates a laser blade that shoots out magic from it.

Ferio happens to be a swordsman dress in white armor and cape, filled with golden embroideries. When the Magic Knights met Ferio again during their second time in Cephiro, they thought he looked like a Prince from a fairytale at first. But after he explained that Ferio was actually Princess Emeraude's little brother, it turns out that he really was a Cephiran Prince all along. Despite all that, it turns out that he lost his memories so that Ferio would let his sister rule over Cephiro as its pillar, while he spends his time learning swordsmanship. However, when Emeraude died, Ferio's memories came back and he is now leading Cephiro as their co-ruler thanks to the aid of Clef, Lafarga, and his fellow military officers and nobles. From that point on, Fuu could not help but started blushing from the fact that she was actually in love with Ferio, despite not being born in Cephiro.

As for Ascot, he happens to be a Palu Summoner who used to be one of Zagato's minions. Ultimately, it turns out that his friends were being scorned and ridiculed by the Cephirans, much to Ascot's dismay. But after being reasoned with by his girlfriend, Umi Ryuuzaki, he apologized for everything that happened when Ascot first met her as an enemy. What surprised Umi even more is that, when Ascot first met her in Cephiro, he was like a little kid. But at the start of Umi's second visit, Caldina confessed to Umi that Ascot was a lot taller than her, much to his embarrassment. As Umi and Ascot fought together to help save Cephiro, Umi also been granted support from Ascot's other friends, who happened to be beasts that have been summoned during battle such as Griffore and Insectoid.

After a few minutes of embracing each other in their arms, the Magic Knights and their loved ones were able to express their reunions towards each other.

"Umi, Fuu, Hikaru, it's so good to see you all again," Ferio said as he gave them a friendly greeting. "How's everything in the other world?"

"It's been awhile, hasn't it guys," Hikaru responded. "Did you all miss us?"

"Well, when those unknown invaders arrived in Cephiro, we were worried that you wouldn't come by to pick up the pieces," Ascot acknowledged in a worried tone.

"It's alright, Ascot," Umi said as she sympathized with the summoner. "I was worried that we wouldn't be able to see you again."

"So Ferio, how's everyone else doing? I hope nothing bad happened to them," Fuu asked her boyfriend out of concern.

"They're all doing fine, Fuu." Ferio said as he made his speech in front of the Magic Knight Trio. "In the mean time, Clef is requesting our audience in his chambers. Right this way, my lady."

Upon hearing what Ferio said, the Magic Knights followed the Prince to the main chambers with Lantis and Ascot following them from behind. As the Magic Knights and their friends made their down the hallways, they were greeted by a lot of people who were excited to see them, giving Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu the honors that they all deserve, even the children were thrilled and honored to see the Magic Knights and their beloved Pillar again. Feeling flattered by such a positive atmosphere, the Magic Knights couldn't help but blush a little out of embarrassment and awe from the people of Cephiro. As soon as they entered the Castle's Main Chambers, the Magic Knights meet Caldina, a traveling Chizetian Dancer and Illusionist, Lafarga, a tall and muscular Guard Captain in turquoise armor, Sierra, Presea's twin sister, and last but not least, Master Mage Clef.

Despite Clef being a short man with white hair, he happens to be extremely knowledgeable in all feats of magic, except for what Princess Emeraude or Hikaru possessed. He was wearing a white robe with a cape and a tiara with a big blue horn in the middle. On his right hand, Clef held onto a mage's staff that has a dinosaur-like skull on top of it, with several purple and blue orbs on top of it. Upon seeing the young girls from the other world again, Clef felt a bit relieved that they have responded his distress call.

"Greetings Magic Knights from the other world," Clef said as he introduced himself towards Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu.

"So Clef, how's it going with rebuilding the world without my aid?" Hikaru asked as she smiled at the Guru.

"Smoothly. Though after three years of rebuilding, one of the villagers informed us that a fleet of strange ships appeared from the sky, just like what I told you earlier," Clef replied as he gave Hikaru a small smile. "We already sent in some of our best scouts to report back to us and what these unidentified outsiders are up to. Unfortunately, they started attacking some of our villages outside of our castle. They reported seeing giant robots on wheels circling around them unleashing destruction in their path."

"What did they want when they first arrived?" Hikaru asked out of curiosity.

"They were threatening to take our land and our resources to increase their existing political and military power for their country," Clef said in a grim tone. "But we refused, claiming that we still have yet to recover after a great battle that occurred three years ago. You girls know what I'm talking about, right? As a result, those unidentified invaders have declared war upon Cephiro."

"Yeah well, what do we do then?" Umi asked impatiently. "We can't let those freaks take advantage of Cephiro while it's still rebuilding."

"Our forces are already deployed out onto the battlefield and escort all refugees safely into the castle," Lafarga added in. "However, most of my men were getting hammered too quickly and fled into the forests. To make matters worse, they captured most of our villages from half of the towns that they have raided. So you Magic Knights might as well move in and to rescue as many survivors as there and drive away the unidentified invaders from our turf."

"Well guys, what do you think?" Hikaru asked Umi and Fuu. "Are you both ready to help defend Cephiro once more? Because I am."

"Well, what about our neighboring allies?" Umi asked Clef. "Are they going to rezendezvous with us at the Castle?"

"We already sent in our messengers to Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren!" Clef explained to Umi. "They'll be arriving at their destination in one week."

"That's wonderful," Fuu said in relief. "I can't wait to see Ms. Aska again."

"I hope Geo and Zazu are doing okay," Hikaru muttered to herself as she couldn't stop thinking that her friend Eagle Vision would sacrifice himself to help her save Lantis from Nova.

"I sure could use Tarta and Tatra's help in driving that horrible fleet away from Cephiro," Umi added in. "By the way Clef, just what kind of invaders do you think we'll be dealing with out there?"

After hearing Umi's question, Clef raised his staff and aimed it at the ceiling above him and the Magic Knights. As they all looked up, the ceiling window transformed its image and revealed a fleet of familiar ships that were seen back in Area 11. In just one moment, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were all shocked at seeing something that they never expected, it had a familiar flag hanging on top of one of the ships. It was the fleet belonging to the Holy Britannian Empire!

"No way, b-but that's…" Hikaru gasped in horror. "It's the Britannian Army!"

She remembered seeing the very same fleet that she saw when Hikaru was still a little kid ten years ago.

"Wait, Hikaru!" Lantis spoke out loud towards his girlfriend. "You actually know those guys?"

"They were the very same ones that invaded Tokyo and turned our county and all of Japan into Area 11!" Hikaru said as she answered Lantis' question.

Upon hearing what Hikaru just said, everyone except Umi and Fuu all gasped in shock, unable to come up with anymore words to say. After a few minutes of remaining speechless, Clef came up to the Magic Knight of Fire before saying anymore.

"If that's true, why didn't you take any stand against them?" Clef asked the Magic Knights.

"We were just little kids back then. Before all of this, we had no power against them at all. Second, when my friends and I attended Ashford Academy after graduating from our Junior High Schools, we thought for sure that we could be friends with them. I mean, we already met students who happened to be Britannians there," Hikaru explained to the Master Mage. "I could've sworn that they could be reasoned with, just like when we reasoned with the leaders of the three neighboring countries three years ago."

"So, let me guess, in Cephiro they proved you wrong?" Lafaraga asked in a serious tone.

"We didn't want to believe that they would get very far after they conquered Japan," Umi told Lafarga. "We may have lost our rights and our freedom and were forced to live our lives as their slaves. We didn't worry too much about them because we met Britannians at school who just wanted to learn from us, especially when we submitted to them in exchange for our families' lives."

"I guess there's always the first time for everything," Fuu said to Umi. "But if they insisted on threatening the people that we love in Cephiro, I'm afraid we can't hold it back any longer."

"Fuu's right guys!" Hikaru said towards the rest of the group. "If we were to be true Magic Knights, then we might as well show those Britannians that Cephiro will not be defeated that easily."

"Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, if you wish to refrain yourselves from fighting the invaders I will not stop any of you," Clef said as he let the girls make their choice in front of him.

"Clef, I really want to believe that Britannia would help Japan shape our future in a better one, despite their actions against our former country," Hikaru said to Clef. "But it turns out that we have all underestimated Britannia's true purpose. We have no idea that they would reach Cephiro in a similar fashion like Umi, Fuu, and I did. So, we'll do anything to save both Japan and Cephiro from them. But we do need to figure out how did they managed to gain entry to your world, right after we stop the invaders at first hand."

"I'm with Hikaru on this one," Umi said as she stood up for the Magic Knight of Fire.

"If Ms. Hikaru is going to fight the Britannians, then so am I!" Fuu added in.

"Very well," Clef said as he acknowledged they request to fight as Magic Knights once more. "BESTOW MAGIC!"

At the top of his lungs, Clef slammed his staff into the floor and shined a bright light that engulfed Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu. Before they knew it, all three girls have been granted a full set of Magic Knight Armor, with colorful capes and tiaras on top of their heads. After the light faded away, the Magic Knights looked at themselves, as they are all now wearing their armor from head to toe. On their right hand, they have white gloves with an orb on top of them. On their left hand, they were holding onto their Escudo swords.

"Now then, Magic Knights of Cephiro, it is time for you to rise once again to help protect Cephiro!" Clef announced to the female trio. "You all know what you have to do!"

After Clef makes his speech, the Magic Knights' swords started glowing a bright yellow light. Just like that, all three knights have teleported outside of the castle only to find themselves surrounded by three familiar huge Rune Gods. As the three female knights looked up, they see their Rune Gods appear before them as they made their speech in front of them.

"Hikaru!"

"Umi!"

"Fuu!"

"Thine is time to fight for thou believes in. Call out our name and don us to battle against the foes of thine world!"

"You heard what they said, guys!" Hikaru told Umi and Fuu as they all raised their swords up high while holding them with both of their hands. "Let's do this!"

"SELECE!"

"WINDAM!"

"RAYEARTH!"

Upon hearing their calls, the Rune Gods shined a colorful light upon their bearers, lifting them up and sucking them inside their bodies, letting the Magic Knights become one with their donned Rune God. After the Magic Knights went inside their Rune Gods, piloting them with their physical movement from the inside, they launched up into the air and flew forward into battle.

* * *

Meanwhile, in one of Cephiro's new villages, a large squad of Sutherland Knightmare Frames came swooping in from above and opened fire upon the village houses and Cephirian soldiers with their Assault Rifles and Stattel Waffen Missile Launchers. While attacking, the Sutherlands were moving on two wheels latched behind both of their legs. In the midst of their destruction, the villagers started screaming and running for their lives while Cephiro's soldiers were scrambling to evacuate them to the Castle.

In retaliation, the soldiers hurled their spears and firing their lighting halberds, the sorcerers casted magic spells at them, and summoners were sending out their beasts to attack the Knightmare Frames. Unfortunately, despite their efforts of counterattacking, most of Cephiro's soldiers, sorcerers, and beasts were getting shot at left and right, unable to deliver any damage to the Sutherlands for they were moving very fast than their eyes could see them. To make matters worse, they were forced to pull out from the war zone, escorting as many villages as they can. But apparently, in less than 3 minutes, the remaining Cephirian soldiers and villages found themselves surrounded by the Sutherlands. Feeling outnumbered and outgunned, the soldiers all dropped their weapons and asked for surrender. Upon seeing this, one of the Sutherland Knightmare Frames approached the cowering soldiers and frightened villagers, opening up its cockpit, revealing a tall, young woman with bluish, teal hair and is wearing a purple Britannian uniform that happens to be a long, purple vest-like coat. She was also wearing a black belt, black skirt, black thigh-high stockings, and long purple gloves. She is none other than Viletta Nu, the baroness of the Holy Britannian Empire. As she stood up on her two feet on top of her cockpit, Viletta looked down upon the Cephirians before making any decisions.

"Behold, Lady Viletta Nu, the baroness of the Holy Britannian Empire!" One of the Britannian soldiers announced while inside his Sutherland Knightmare Frame.

In the middle of the group of frightened villagers, a little girl name Mira was cowering behind her mother who is just as scared as she is. In her mind, Mira wished that her heroes, Hikaru and the Magic Knights, hadn't left Cephiro for a long time. Ever since she became friends with Hikaru and that she gave her Knight a bouquet of white flowers, Mira had faith in the Knight of Flame. And even after Hikaru abolished the pillar system, Mira still believed in her as the newest pillar of Cephiro, dedicated to protect her and the rest of her friends and family from any dangers. However, after being gone for three long years, Mira is starting to lose hope, thinking that she and her mother will not live to see another day.

"Attention all Cephirians, if you all wish to surrender, then you are to tell us where is your Commander-in-Chief of Cephiro first!" Viletta ordered the frightened Cephirians.

"Why should we?" One of the Cephirian Soldiers asked feeling offender by what the baroness just said.

Apart from his fellow Cephirian Soldiers, he was wearing a full set of Orange Royal Guard armor will red embroideries. On his back he had a bright cyan cape bearing the emblem of the symbol of Rayearth. He happens to be the one of the Commanders of Cephiro's Royal Guard. Despite his tactics and his combat abilities out on the battlefield, however, he just realized that he and his men were no match against Viletta's soldiers while defending one of the Cephirian Villages. In the midst of his protest against Viletta Nu, the commander continued with his response with her.

"We may issue a surrender to you and your forces, but we don't want to risk putting our leaders in anymore danger than they are already in!" The Commander protested. "We just want to live in peace!"

Despite the Commander's protests, Viletta took out her handgun and shot him in the knee, wounding him as he fall onto his legs while groaning in pain.

"COMMANDER!" One of his soldiers said while freaking out.

But before any of the Cephirian Guards could come a step closer to help their wounded commander, Viletta aimed her gun at the guards and shouted out an order at them. During the fiasco, C.C and Kallen are hiding behind the trees in a nearby forest behind Viletta, unknown to her, her fellow Britannians, and the frightened Cephirians. As they took out their binoculars and their recording camera, C.C and Kallen made a careful observation on what the Britannians are going to do to the natives of their alternate world, while the baroness continues with her demands.

"Stay right where you are boys!" Viletta shouted at the top of her lungs. "If you don't take us to your leaders, I'll kill everyone of you, leaving no witnesses!"

Upon hearing Viletta's threatening demands, the villagers and soldiers started fearing for their lives. They remembered that three years ago, during the battle with Lady Debonair, the people of Cephiro were convinced not to live under fear anymore for it will just make the evil witch stronger. Since they believed in the Magic Knights, they were able to help them defeat the evil witch once and for all. Ever since on that day, the Cephirians were not longer afraid of anything. However, since they're dealing with a different kind of invasion and that the Magic Knights and the Pillar of Cephiro are not to protect them anymore, they believe that it may be the end for all Cephiro as they know it.

"You have three seconds!" Viletta said as she is about to shoot another person from the group of defeated Cephirians. "ONE! TWO! THR….."

"RUBY LIGHTING!"

Before she could shoot another Cephirian down, she heard someone shout out loud and the next thing that happened is when a huge pink beam of lighting struck at one of the Sutherland Knightmare Frames in a heartbeat. Inside the cockpit of the struck Knightmare Frames, the pilot sees an electrical surge erupting from his controls. Just like that, the pilot screamed as his cockpit exploded, killing him as his Knightmare Frame blew up into an exploding fireball.

"W-What just happened?" Viletta said as she was startled by the immediate death of one of her men, confused by what was going on right now!"

"THERE! LOOK!" Mira shouted in a cheerful tone as she pointed at the sky above Viletta with her right forefinger.

As Viletta turned around, she sees three strange huge robots appear from the sky. In just mere seconds all three robots landed right in front of the Baroness and behind the Cephirians. One was a red, armored warrior with lion features, armed with a Broadsword and a red, crescent shield; inside was Hikaru Shidou. The second robot was a blue, armored warrior with blue dragon-like features and is armed with a blue rapier; inside the blue robot is Umi Ryuuzaki. The third robot was a green, armored warrior with eagle-like features and is armed with a green two-handed sword; piloted by Fuu Hououji. Upon recognizing what the three robots really are, the Cephiran Soldiers and villagers started cheering for them, believing that they have finally came to save them.

"IT'S THE MAGIC KNIGHTS! THEY'RE HERE TO SAVE US!" One of the soldiers shouted as he cheered at the top of his lungs.

"Those three unidentified robots?!" Viletta shrieked while being confused on what to do right now since the robots arrived on the scene, unexpectedly. "That's impossible!"

"My sword hungers for justice!" Hikaru spoke out loud while inside Rayearth.

Not wanting to stand around anymore, the baroness issues the following order to her men.

"GET THEM!" Viletta snarled before getting back into her Knightmare Frame.

As they charged forward at the Magic Knights' robots, they opened fire with their assault rifles and missiles. However, when the Magic Knight's robots advanced, Hikaru charged head on, while raising Rayearth's shield to defend herself against enemy fire. Just when her attacker came close, Hikaru bashed the Sutherland with her shield, breaking down its guard and stabbed her sword straight into the Knightmare in the chest, making it exploded from the back. In a finishing blow, Hikaru pulled out her sword from her target's chest and kicked the enemy Knightmare in the stomach, sending it flying into a nearby tree as it collapsed onto the dirt ground. After seeing one Knightmare go down thanks to Hikaru, the soldiers were cheering as they raised their weapons above their head. When Hikaru continued her fight with the other Britannian Sutherlands, she jumped up high and smashed Rayearth's right foot into the face of another Sutherland, making him collapsed onto his back. Before he even had a chance to get up, the Sutherland was met by a powerful thrust when Hikaru drove her broadsword into the Sutherland's torso with both of her hands. As Hikaru pulled out her sword from the defeated Sutherland, another Sutherland opened fire at her Rune God from behind. However, Hikaru raised her shield up and immediately slammed it into the 3rd Sutherland in the legs and flipped him over Rayearth's back before hitting the ground. The next thing that happened is when Hikaru unleashed a Fire Arrow at the 4th Sutherland, making him blow up into smithereens.

"Man, I never had this much fun after destroying all those monsters in the Forest of Silence!" Hikaru muttered in excitement.

For Umi, who is inside the cockpit of Selece, she zoomed forward with excellent speed and stabbed one Sutherland in the head, penetrating her blade straight into the cockpit. In addition, the pilot inside the defeated Knightmare was also stabbed in the chest, making him bleed from his fresh wound and with blood coming out of his mouth.

"F-For B-Britannia!" The dying pilot muttered to himself before the explosion consumed him completely.

After Umi pulled back her rapier, she sees the second Sutherland shooting at her with its missiles. However, Umi flew up into the air and landed on top of the Knightmare. At the same time, Umi's rapier stabbed the Knightmare from the back, making it fall onto its knees and collapsed onto its chest, unable to move anymore.

As soon as Umi disengaged from her second target, three more Knightmare Sutherlands charged forward while shooting their assault rifles at her. But before they got any closer, Umi raised her hand up high above her head as she casted one of her water spells at the three Sutherlands.

"WATER DRAGON!" Umi shouted as she unleashed a torrent of water, with a dragon maw coming straight at her targets.

Unable to evade such a spell, all three Knightmares were swallowed by Umi's water dragon and were sent flying up into the sky, screaming in terror. After Umi's spell disappeared, the three Knightmares came crashing down into the dirt, broken apart and disabled. As soon as the three pilots came out, they were met by spears pointing at them by Cephiro's Royal Guards.

When Fuu engaged the Sutherlands, she unleashed an array of spells at them. Before they knew what was going on, the Magic Knight of Wind brought forth a one too many surprises for them to anticipate.

"Wings of Protection!"

After calling out her spell, Fuu summoned a huge green barrier that shrugged off all of the bullets and missiles coming straight at her, much to the shock of her attackers.

After a few seconds, Fuu also casted out another spell that spooked the attackers without having any chance of fighting.

"Wings of Admonisment!"

At the top of her lungs, Fuu casted out a serpentine-like tornadoes and bind one of the Sutherlands, rendering him unable to break free from Fuu's spell.

"ARGH!" The Britannian pilot screamed. "W-What is it power? I-I can't move my Knightmare Frame!"

After several futile attempts on trying to gain control of his Nightmare Frame, the pilot sees the Green Robot approach him up front and slammed its sword right on top of the Sutherland's head.

"GYAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" The pilot shrieked as the flames engulfed him as his Knightmare exploded into nothingness.

After defeating her first target, Fuu sees two more Sutherlands charging straight at her as they sprayed their machinegun fire at her. However, after dodging the first volley of bullets, Fuu sidestepped and casted another spell at them, with her both of her hands raised up to her eye level, aiming the two Sutherlands.

"Emerald Cyclone!"

In a heartbeat, Fuu's spell unleashed a powerful wave of green crescent-like blades, followed by a powerful gust of wind, at the Knightmares. Upon impact, the Sutherlands received multiple cuts all over their armor, cutting it up like swish-cheese and is unable to withstand so much damage. Not wanting to get killed, the two pilots activated their ejector seats and were sent flying backwards away from the fight. However, as soon as the two pilots came out of their cockpits, they were met with guards surrounding them with their spears pointing at their faces.

After seeing most of her soldiers defeated in less than ten minutes while inside her Knightmare Frame, Viletta couldn't decided if she wanted to engage her new foes or fall back and regroup. However, just when she was about to leave, Rayearth landed right in front of her. Upon seeing Rayearth appear in front of her, the baroness frantically reached out for the Sutherland's machine gun and aim it at Rayearth's face only for it to slice the gun in pieces with its Escudo Broadsword. Just when Viletta was about to meet her end on the battlefield, she notices that Rayearth is not doing anymore. As Viletta started having a question mark above her head, she doesn't know what are her unknown foes are going to do to her next; kill her or take her prisoner. Before she could say anything, Rayearth's voice spoke to her in a girl's voice.

"Tell your leaders that the Magic Knights have come forth to defend Cephiro once again and that they'll be coming after them next!"

Upon hearing this, Viletta scurried away with her Knightmare Frame, feeling traumatized after losing to a trio of unknown robots but not before muttering to herself.

"This isn't over, Magic Knights or whoever you guys are! Just wait until Viceroy Cornelia and Prince Clovis hears about this!"

After Viletta's Knightmare Frame disappeared into the forest, C.C and Kallen were both awestruck by the performance that the Magic Knight's robots have displayed on the battlefield.

"Man, I never seen Knightmare Frames fight like that before!" Kallen said to herself while feeling shaken by what she saw.

"Kallen, I don't think those robots are really Knightmare Frames!" C.C told the Black Knight Captain.

"What makes you say that?" Kallen asked the immortal witch.

"For one thing, I don't remember seeing Knightmare Frames fight with supernatural powers," C.C replied in a grim tone. "We may need to report this unexpected turn of events to Zero as soon as we get back."

"You maybe right." Kallen said as she and C.C put away their equipment and made their way back to Area 11 through a secret gateway inside the forest. "Magic Knights, huh?! I hope we can figure out who they really are very soon."

As C.C and Kallen disappeared deep into the forest, the Magic Knights came out of their Rune Gods and appeared before the villagers and Cephirian guards congratulating them for their valiant efforts of saving them.

"Wow Hikaru, you've gotten bigger the last time I saw you." Mira complimented excitedly.

"It's been awhile hasn't it, Mira?!" Hikaru replied.

"We can't thank you enough, Magic Knights!" One of the elderly villagers said as he held onto Fuu's hands with his. "We thought we wouldn't make it."

"It was nothing, sir!" Fuu replied, with a small blush on her cheeks.

"Lady Hikaru!" The wounded commander spoke while being held by two of his men by the arms. "We didn't think we would see you again. Ever since those invaders wreaked havoc upon our land, we were losing our grounds in less than a day."

"Are you the commander in charge of this evacuation?" Hikaru asked with one of her eyebrows lifting up out of curiosity.

"Yes, I am, Pillar!" The Commander replied in a calm tone. "If it hadn't been for you and the Magic Knights, I would've received more than just a gunshot wound to the knee. In order to pay back our debts, we soldiers of Cephiro will be yours to command, my lady."

After hearing the commander's speech, Hikaru sees him kneeling before her, along with the rest of the guards, sorcerers, and summoners.

"Let's get all these people to the Castle, Commander!" Hikaru said while issuing out her orders.

Upon hearing what Hikaru just said, she, the Magic Knights, and the Cephirians helped escort all of the villagers straight into the Castle before debriefing on their next mission.

* * *

Meanwhile, on board the Britannian Flagship, Viletta appeared before Viceroy Cornelia and Prince Clovis as she kneeled before them both. Across from where Viletta was at, Cornelia and Clovis are sitting on their thrones.

"Your highness, we had a situation back at Cephiro!" Viletta announced as she tried to inform the Princess and Prince of Britannia.

"What is it, Baroness?" Cornelia asked as she took a sip of wine from her wine glass.

"Some unidentified group of robots appeared out of nowhere during our raid on one of the villages and took out my entire squad without hesitation!" Viletta responded in a traumatized tone. "The villagers and guards that we're rounding up were addressing them as the Magic Knights!"

Upon hearing what the baroness just said, Cornelia spit out her wine out of surprise and cough a few times before responding.

"The Magic Knights?!" Cornelia spoke to herself before continuing her conversation with Viletta. "I knew this was going to be too easy for us to attack Cephiro upon arrival."

"And I thought they were just a legend, according to Cephiro's folklore," Prince Clovis said as he stared at Viletta straight in the eye. "Are you sure that this was no joke, baroness?"

"Yes, your highness!" Viletta replied in alarm. "They were wielding swords and shooting out all sorts of strange powers at my men, stunning and obliterating most of them. They also let me go with a fair warning that they'll be coming after us next."

"Clovis?!" Cornerlia asked her brother as she turned her face towards him. "I want you to go with Viletta and find out what you can about these so-called Magic Knights and report back to me. Do not engage them until we figure out who they really are!"

"Why yes, my dear sister," Clovis said as he stood up from his seat and approached the baroness. "Come baroness, let's do some reconnaissance."


	4. White Knight into the Fray

Chapter 3: White Knight into the Fray

Suzaku's POV:

 _This is Warrant Office Suzaku Kururugi, an honorary Britannian of Area 11, serving under the army of the Holy Britannian Empire. I maybe Japanese, but since I killed my own father, Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi, I was met with a heated exchange in turning Japan over to the Britannian Empire. After my father's demise, Japan has immediately surrendered to the Britannians. I haven't told anyone that I killed my own father, so I decided to keep this a secret to myself. By joining their army, after they conquered Japan, I wish to atone for this murderous sin by getting killed on the frontlines. But for some reason, I had more to live for than to die for._

 _When I first met Lelouch, I didn't think he could be trusted since he used to be a Britannian Prince but after awhile he and I became the closet friends since we were 10 years old. However, for Hikaru Shidou it was a different story. She was a bit energetic and just as headstrong as I was. Since we're both Japanese, I had it easy with her. We used to go hiking together, despite Lelouch following from behind. When I learned that Hikaru does Kendo, which was taught by her elder brothers, I did some private sparing with her every week, with her Katana against my own. She may have mastered Kendo at a very young age, but I was taught by my private instructor Tohodoh of the Four Holy Swords and former member of the Japanese Liberation Front on how to use my katana effectively. Every time we duel it gets more intense than the last. It was like that Hikaru was both my friend and rival at the same time. Despite her being an Eleven, stripped of her rights as a Japanese, I noticed that Hikaru doesn't felt worried, even in the slightest. She always stayed strong, brave, and kind-hearted during the times when Hikaru and the rest of the Elevens were forced to submit to the Holy Britannian Empire, especially when getting bullied by the Britannians outside of Ashford Academy. I don't know why, but I did noticed that in the Tokyo Tower, Hikaru was praying for something that I didn't quit understand. When she met Umi and Fuu at the Tokyo Tower, they were thought of each other as friends more than I was, not that I'm jealous of them. As long as Hikaru has other friends than just me, I would do my best to continue my military campaign of changing the world through Britannia's eyes._

 _During my role as an Honorary Britannian, I met a young woman name Euphy. She had pink long hair with two buns and is wearing a regal pink and white dress with a rose choker. It turns out that she was the 3_ _rd_ _Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, Euphemia li Britannia. For some reason, she was just a lot like Hikaru Shidou in similar ways, despite not being a good fighter. Other than that, Euphy sees me as not just an Honorary Britannian, but also as her destined Knight of Honor. After being rescued at the Lake Kawaguchi Convention Center, Euphy was attempting to promote me as her Knight, despite Cornelia's protests against it. I guess it will be a matter of time before I will serve Euphy under this kind of circumstances._

 _Now that I'm working along with Lyold Asplund and Cecil Croomy in the Military Engineer Corps, I've been given an experimental Knightmare Frame of my own. It is known as the "Lancelot." I've been commandeering that Knightmare during my battles with Zero and the Black Knights. However, every time I faced them in battle, one of their Knightmares, Guren, keeps getting in my way. It was a tough battle, despite Zero being an arrogant coward who is one step ahead of us. I hope I can find a way to defeat the Black Knights and bring Zero to justice one day. But apparently, I got my hands full on another assignment and this time it does not involve the Black Knights or anywhere in Area 11._

Suzaku happens to be another student in the Ashford Academy, who is a young soldier and Knightmare pilot undercover. Just like Lelouch, Hikaru, and her friends, Suzaku is also 17 years old. Just like from his childhood, Suzaku had brown hair and green eyes. After finishing another day at school, Suzaku was about meet up with Princess Euphy when he hears his cell phone beep from one of his pockets in his school uniform. The moment Suzaku picked up his phone, he hears his boss Lloyd speaking to him.

"Good afternoon, Kururugi. How's it going at school?" Lloyd spoke in a happy tone.

"Hi Lloyd, everything is going great. What is it?" Suzaku replied before asking.

"I just received word from Prince Clovis that you are to meet him at the rift gate in the Britannian Government Bureau as soon as possible," Lloyd responded with confidence. "He said that you have another assignment outside of Area 11."

"Understood sir!" Suzaku acknowledged before putting his cell phone away.

In an instant, Suzaku got on his motorcycle from the parking lot and drove to the Government Bureau. During his trek, Suzaku couldn't help but think of Lelouch's safety. Ever since he saw Lelouch get caught up during the rebellion at Shinjuku, Suzaku couldn't allow his best friend get shot at by his fellow soldiers. However, despite getting shot at, Suzaku wakes up from the infirmary, realizing that the bullet only hit his father's pocket watch instead. As soon as he snapped out of his past thoughts about Lelouch, Suzaku arrives at the Government Bureau checkpoint. It had a security booth right next to a metal gate that can be opened from inside the booth. The moment he stopped, a Britannian Security Guard at the Security checkpoint met Suzaku up front.

"May I see you ID sir?" The guard asked Suzaku.

Without saying a word, Suzaku took out his wallet and pulled out his Military ID for the security guard to see. As the guard took the ID and looked at it and back at Suzaku for a few times, the guard scanned his ID inside the security booth, revealing Suzaku's identity and his rank in the Britannian Military before handing ID back to him.

"Welcome back, Warrant Officer Kururgi," The guard said as he greeted the Honorary Britannian. "Prince Clovis is awaiting for your arrival at the Bureau."

After acknowledging Suzaku's arrival, the security guard activated a button from inside the security booth, opening the gate as he let the Warrant Officer proceed forward to meet up with Prince Clovis and Baroness Viletta. As he makes his way to the Bureau, Suzaku sees a Gateway that's as huge as a skyscraper.

A rare mineral known as Sakuradite, which was harvested by the Britanian Empire ever since they conquered Japan, was used to power up the gateway to the fullest. The mineral was a radioactive superconductor that was used to improve advanced technology for the Britannians, such as Knightmare Frames and nuclear bombs. There were also risks while using Sakuradite for various purposes. If two pieces of this unstable ore are collided together, a massive explosion will result in its place, possibly killing hundreds or thousands of people all at once.

Shortly after the Britannians took over Japan, Emperor Charles has foreseen another world that is filled with natural-born energy that he believes to help provide stability to the Sakuradite that his subjects harvested. So, for 7 years, Charles' subjects built a massive gateway to bridge a connection to this new world that he was seeing in his visions. After finishing the gateway, they used the sakuradite to activate it. As soon as the gateway started functioning, it revealed a whole new world on the other side. It happens to be none other than Cephiro, the land of will. When Charles sent a fleet of his best exploration teams led by his son Prince Clovis to scout the new world, they were met by a group of wary inhabitants.

At first Prince Clovis wanted to greet them with a warm welcome and that they don't mean any harm. After giving it some thought, one of the village mayors let Clovis in for some diplomatic negotiations. However, Clovis abused his hospitality when he offered Cephiro to submit to the Holy Britannian Empire for their infinite energy resources as well as their land. Upon hearing such harsh demands, the Cephirians did not want to give up their land that easily, saying that they wanted to rebuild their world there own way without being controlled anymore and that they were just recovering after dealing with a four-way invasion. Unfortunately, by the approval of his father, Clovis ordered some of his men to raid the villagers of their crops and supplies. Enraged by such atrocities, the Cephirians have started fighting back but with futile results against Clovis and his men. By the order of Emperor Charles, the Britannians have declared an all-out war against Cephiro, in hopes of taking the land and its energy resources by force.

At the huge gateway, Suzaku introduced himself to Prince Clovis, Princess Euphy, and Baroness Viletta. As he approached the two royals and baroness, Suzaku immediately bowed down to them before they began his mission briefing.

"Warrant Office Kururugi," Prince Clovis said as he announced the Honorary Britannian of his name. "Today, you have been called forth because we have a bit of a situation back in Cephiro."

"Yes, your highness?" Suzaku asked out of curiosity.

"Baroness Nu will be the one to fill you out the details of what you'll be up against, while she and I go undercover to seek answers revolving around them," Prince Clovis said as he continued with his speech.

"During our previous raid upon one of Cephiro's villages, three unidentified Knightmare Frames appeared from the sky and laid waste to my entire squad of Britannian soldiers. Half of them were captured and brought into their custody," Viletta explained towards Suzaku. "The villagers and Cephirian guards were addressing them as the Magic Knights. I may need your help in dealing with them as well as buying us some time to investigate who and what these Knights really are."

"And you'll need your Lancelot when dealing with them," Prince Clovis added. "Since they put up quite a fight against our men, we may need to deliver them an even more bigger challenge. Are you up for it?"

"Yes, your majesty!" Suzaku acknowledge as he saluted the Britannian Prince.

"Remember, you are to escort us to one of the nearby village taverns while hiding inside the forest," Viletta said as she issued out orders to Suzaku. "If the Magic Knights show up, you are to neutralize them at all costs. As soon as they get taken down, we capture whoever is piloting them and bring them into our custody. Are we clear?"

"Understood, baroness!" Suzaku replied.

"Good, we'll begin the preparations at once!" Clovis told the Warrant Officer.

As Viletta and Clovis are getting ready to pack up before proceeding onto their escort corvette, Suzaku could not help but wonder what will these so-called Magic Knights be throwing at him. From apart of what he was thinking, Suzaku is getting a very strong feeling that this enemy they speak of might also be his friend from long ago. At the locker room, inside the Government Bureau, Suzaku discarded his school uniform and dressed up into his white Britannian pilot uniform. But before he could leave the lockroom, he was met by Princess Euphemia li Britannia.

"Suzaku?" Princess Euphy asked her beloved knight.

"Yes, Euphy?" Suzaku asked the young Britannian Princess.

"Please, take care of my brother at the other world," Euphy told the Honorary Britannian. "There's no telling what kind of threats will they start posing at you."

"Understood, Euphy," Suzaku acknowledged before heading out to meet his Knightmare Frame.

At the hanger, Suzaku sees Lancelot all geared up and ready to go. It happens to be a white Knightmare Frame armed with two Maser Vibration Swords, four Slash Harken Blades, and a VARIS particle rifle. Upon seeing his Knightmare Frame, Suzaku approached it and made his way into its cockpit.

"I wonder what kind of surprises do these so-called Magic Knights have up their sleeves?" Suzaku thought to himself as he went inside his Lancelot.

After several minutes of packing up, Viletta and Clovis went inside their escort corvette, followed by Lancelot, before proceeding to the Sukuradite powered-up gateway.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Castle, the Magic Knights escorted the villagers through the main gate, while several of their guards and Lafarga went on patrol at the garrisons. As for Lantis and Ferio, they took a platoon of guards and archers to help the Magic Knights and their Rune Gods secure most of the villages in the eastern sections of Cephiro. After several hours of carrying out their escorting missions, it became nightfall. The Magic Knights decided to have dinner at the castle mess hall. Soon after dinner, Hikaru was able to meet up with Mokona, the little white rabbit-like creature, and Primera, the little fairy that was hanging around with Lantis a few years back. Upon seeing the two little creatures again, Hikaru noticed that they were both getting along quite well for some reason.

"Hey Hikaru, it's been a long time, hasn't it?" Primera spoke to the red-haired knight.

"I didn't think you and Mokona were able to get along so soon like that," Hikaru said acknowledging the situation that the fairy and the rabbit are in.

"Well, when that ball of fluff was protecting me, I couldn't help but compliment his actions, despite the time when he swallowed me and jumped on me more than once," Primera said out of embarrassment. "Not that it matters, I do want to apologize for not understanding you like last time. Lantis told me that he actually had feelings for you, especially when he gave you that gold pendant. I should've known better than to get in his way like that, if you know what I mean."

"It was nothing Primera," Hikaru said as she blushed to herself.

"Puu Puu!" Mokona squeaked as he jumped onto Hikaru's arms.

"Did you miss me, Mokona?" Hikaru asked the little ball of fluff, chuckling to herself while embracing the little rabbit.

"Puu!" Mokona replied in a gloomy tone.

After hugging Mokona in her arms, Hikaru heard a guard approaching her from behind.

"Lady Hikaru!" The commander spoke in a serious tone. "Lord Clef wishes to speak with you in his private chambers."

As soon as she heard what the Royal Guard Commander just said, Hikaru dropped Mokona onto the floor before moving on. While being escorted to Clef's chambers, Hikaru felt relieved that she was able to get her hopes up again now that she is serving Cephiro as their Magic Knights once again. However, since she and her friends are now fighting against the Britannians and their combat machines, Hikaru may get an uneasy feeling that her actions may cost her friendships with some of the Britannian students at school, such as Milly Ashford, Shirely Fettel, and Lelouch vi Britannia. If they find out that Hikaru, as an Eleven, happens to be one of the Magic Knights, they might turn her over to the authorities for multiple counts of terrorism, just like when the Black Knights were opposing against the Holy Britannian Empire for the sake of their former Japanese homeland. For her friends, Umi and Fuu, they might also get involved with this terrorist act as well. In addition, it may also affect how will their parents and siblings think of them now. Will they survive another battle without attracting too much attention from their fellow Elevens and the Britannians revolving around being Magic Knights or will they get caught and publicly executed by the Britannian Government.

"Are you feeling okay, Pillar?" The Commander asked out of concern.

As she heard the commander's question, Hikaru snapped out of her own fearful thoughts about her future now. Upon seeing the commander in person, Hikaru recognized him during her first fight with the Britannians. This time, the commander was holding onto a crutch with his right arm while supporting his injured knee with moving around.

"I'm fine," Hikaru replied exasperatedly. "Though, I'm not sure what will happen if I get caught by the Britannians."

"Is it because they saw you as a lowly citizen in you own world at first sight?" The commander asked, giving Hikaru a little bit more anxiety.

"Not just a lowly citizen, but as a lowly Eleven," Hikaru responded in a grim tone. "If they found out that it was me that attacked their men back at that village, they'll arrest me as soon as I get back to my own world."

"It's alright, my lady!" The commander said while sympathizing the flame knight. "Since we've already known you for over three years, we'll always stand by your side out onto the battlefield. If we were to survive the destruction of our land thanks to you Magic Knights, then we can handle the invaders without any trouble."

"I hope you're right, commander!" Hikaru said to the Guard Commander, not wanting to doubt his duties as a Cephirian Military officer. "By the way, I never got your name just yet."

"I'm Commander Topaz, Lady Hikaru." The commander spoke in a calm voice. "It's been a pleasure to meet you during the war against Britannia, though it was a late introduction."

"Oh think nothing of it, Topaz." Hikaru replied with a smile on her face.

After their brief conversation in the hallways, Hikaru and Topaz reached Clef's private chambers to discuss on what they're going to do next. The moment they entered the chambers, they see Clef looking at the map surrounding the Castle of Cephiro.

"So Clef, what's next?" Hikaru asked, trying to have the Master Mage get to the point.

"Our scouts were able to collect some valuable info about our new enemy thanks to our Autozamian allies," Clef explained to Hikaru as he raised his staff to bring up a small screen to display the robots that they have face earlier.

"The robots that you and your friends fought back there were called Knightmare Frames. They're similar to that of the fighting mecha from Autozam, except that they were powered up by an unstable resource known as Sakuradite, unlike their mental energies. They come with all sorts of Knightmare variants that fly and move with wheels behind their legs. But it won't be the last we'll see from them. They'll try to send in more of their Knightmare Frames to oppose us and they'll come back more stronger and faster than ever."

"So, how do you think we'll be able to defeat them?" Hikaru asked, concerning over the battles that will lie ahead of her and the Magic Knights.

"Since you have helped us capture some of those invaders during your first counterattack, we were able to scavenge their wrecked Knightmares for some valuable parts," Commander Topaz added in. "Now that Autozam is our ally, we managed to turn that stuff over to them so that they can decipher who are we really up against from the Britannians. But it may take a little bit more time before we can rebuild and operate those machines."

"Well what about us, the Magic Knights?" Hikaru asked. "We may need to help improve our Rune Gods with the components that we scavenged from those fallen Knightmares."

"Again, it'll take time for us to see something like that occur into a reality," Topaz acknowledged Hikaru's question. "Since the Autozamians onboard Battleship NSX have finally arrived, they already started working on building new machines for us immediately. For now, just try to keep the Britannian Knightmare Frames at bay until it will be your turn."

"I understand, commander!" Hikaru replied as she started feeling a little disappointed.

* * *

In one of the isolated villages in Cephiro, a disguised Viletta and Prince Clovis infiltrated the area, dressed up in ragged clothing and wearing big hats on top of their heads. While under their disguises, they did their best not to attract too much attention with the Cephirians residing in the village. As for Suzaku, he was hiding inside the forest, next to his Lancelot, while keeping a close eye on the two Britannians with his binoculars. In a few minutes of walking around in the village, Viletta and Clovis spotted an Inn a few meters west of their position. Not wanting to stand around, Clovis directed Viletta into the Inn while Suzaku kept his eye out for any other villagers.

As they went inside, Viletta and Clovis sat at a nearby table. Across from where they're sitting at, the two disguised Britannians hear a group of Cephirian villagers talking to each other: a tall blond-haired man with a white moustache, an elderly woman with short amber hair, and a guard captain that happens to be none other than Lafarga. As they sat together eating bread and drinking beer, they started laughing at each before making their conversation.

"Did you hear Lafarga? Those Magic Knights were able to save us just in time!" The Elderly woman spoke in excitement.

"I know right?" Lafarga replied with a small smile on his face. "If it hadn't been for those girls from the other world, we would end up fighting a losing battle."

 _"Girls from the other world?" Viletta and Clovis said inside their heads._

Upon hearing what the Guard Captain said from his first sentence, Viletta is wondering if those girls could be from Area 11, the very same place where the Holy Britannia Empire is occupying. If so, there maybe a good chance that the Baroness and the rest of her fellow Britannians may be facing another different group of terrorists apart from the Black Knights and the Japanese Liberation Front. As for Prince Clovis, he still is finding the conversation of the three Cephirians more than just interesting.

"I'm also grateful that their Rune Gods were able to smash those rotten machines in a heartbeat," The blond-haired man said as he drank another beer. "It serves those damn invaders right!"

 _"So, those unidentified Knightmare Frames that I saw back there are actually Rune Gods, huh?" Viletta muttered to herself. "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought we would be dealing with something more unexpected than just the Black Knights' Knightmare Frames."_

Before Viletta could hear anymore, she noticed that Prince Clovis disappeared from the table that she is sitting next to. As she turned her face around, Viletta spotted Clovis getting into the conversation with Lafarga and the two villagers. Not wanting to blow their cover, Viletta got out of her seat and marched straight towards Clovis immediately.

"So guys, what do you know about the Magic Knights so far?" Clovis said while under the guise of a ragged commoner.

"Well, only those from another world had the will to become the Legendary Magic Knights," Lafarga told the disguised Britannian, not aware of his presence. "And those who were closer to Princess Emeraude back then know the whole story behind these young female warriors."

"Really?! Like who?" Clovis said, trying to tempt the guard captain to squeeze more info.

Before Lafarga could say anymore, Viletta appeared right behind Clovis and grabbed him in the arm.

"I'm dreadfully sorry about this, sir!" Viletta apologized as she pulled Clovis away from the three Cephirians. "You have to excuse him, he can get a little too obsessed with foreign natives like yourselves."

As Viletta pulled Clovis outside of the Inn, the Britannian Prince turned around to face the baroness. Before Clovis could say anything, Viletta started scolding him for his immediate actions.

"Clovis, you can't just waltz into their conversation like that! We're only eavesdropping on what they know about the Magic Knights for now!" Viletta hissed at the Britannain Prince.

"Well excuse me for being social Viletta but we need some witnesses that might know who the Magic Knights really are?" Clovis protested in silence.

"We still need to be careful around Cephiro, they almost took me down back there!" Viletta continued. "If they catch us spying on them, it's all over for us!"

Unknown to Viletta and Clovis, Caldina came out of a nearby Bar behind the Inn after winning another gambling bet from one of the village nobles. As the Chizetian carried a bag full of gold over her shoulders, she spotted the Viletta and Clovis talking to each other in a suspicious tone of voice. Upon seeing them on sight, Caldina stared at them with a stern look on her face.

"I wonder what those two clowns are up to?" Caldina muttered to herself as she approached them from behind.

As soon as Viletta and Clovis spotted Caldina come up behind them, they stared at each other before either of them could say anything.

"I don't think I seen you two in Cephiro before, are you new here?" Caldina asked the disguised Viletta and Clovis out of curiosity.

"Well, we're just interested in hearing the stories of the Magic Knights. " Clovis replied out of embarrassment, while Viletta smacked herself in the forehead. "Do you know anything about them?

"Well, all I can say is, that the three little Missies are really great friends of mine," Caldina cackled. "In fact, I got Magic Knight of Wind to thank for the most because she showed me that, after my defeat, I was convinced that there's usually something that is worth more valuable than just gold for instance. When Ascot got in my way during the time when I was facing them in battle, he actually had is own reasons into doing so. It turns out that Ascot still cares about me despite his childish behavior way back when."

"So do you know their names?" Clovis blurted out before Viletta started interrupting his conversation with the Chizetian.

"Sorry about that, ma'am!" Viletta apologized sheepishly while pulling Clovis away. "But I think we overstayed our welcome here."

As Viletta and Clovis immediately left the area, it gave Caldina a big question mark floating above her head. After the two disappear from plain sight, Lafarga came out of the Inn and glared at the disguised Viletta.

"Uh Caldina? Don't you think that women is acting suspicious for some reason and that you're getting way in over your head?" Lafarga asked the female dancer. "She looks very familiar."

"What do you mean by…?" Caldina asked before something popped up inside her head. "Oopsies! It seems that I said too much to her about Fuu Houoji."

"I'd rather be careful on what to say if I were you, Caldina." Lafarga warned the Chizetian. "Those two are up to something."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the tower entrance of the Castle of Cephiro, Geo Metro and Zazu Torque appeared with an escort of Autozamian troops.

Geo was seen as a tall-muscular man with short black hair. Underneath his chin, Geo has a little "X" on it. On his head, Geo wears a band that has a blue orb with a wire attached to it from his back. He used to be Commander Eagle Vision's second-in-command of the Battleship NSX, who is good-natured and loyal towards him since the beginning of time. Unfortunately, after learning of Eagle's death upon the battlefield three years ago, Geo was promoted as the sub-commander of the NSX and is the pilot of the GTO fighting mecha.

As Zazu Torque appeared from behind Geo, he was seen as a little boy who is just a few feet taller than Hikaru was. He happens to be the youngest crewmember and mechanic onboard the NSX. Before they begun their attack upon Cephiro, Geo, Zazu, and Eagle were once friends with Lantis.

Unfortunately, during their invasion, they were fighting against Hikaru and the Magic Knights due to their beliefs until Eagle got captured. Eventually, after Eagle went back to the NSX, he made a pact with Cephiro vowing that whether or not Eagle became the pillar, Clef promised to aid Autozam in being rebuilt, so that the country will not fall apart. Since Eagle's last wish was to have Geo and Zazu protect Cephiro with the NSX, they made their move against Lady Debonair during the final battle. Shortly after the Magic Knights left, in regards to their victory, the Cephirians and Clef were able to use their magic to help restore Autozam, the way they restore Cephiro. From that day forward, Autozam became one and whole for years to come.

Despite the years of peace, when Autozam has received word from a Cephirian messenger that a new invading army, known as the Holy Britannian Empire, began attacking Cephiro from another dimension. By the order of the new government system of Autozam, Geo has been given the right to lead his forces to help the Cephirians engage this new threat at once. Geo knew that he had to go help Lantis and Hikaru deal with the invaders for the sake of his deceased commander. So, he made preparations for his GTO and the NSX before heading back to Cephiro.

As of now, Geo and Zazu were able to analyze the data that they have received from the Cephirians, revolving around the Knightmare Frames that the Magic Knights have defeated. For the prisoners they have captured, they were being interrogated inside the prison area below the Castle of Cephiro.

On board the NSX, Hikaru, Lantis, Clef, and Geo were all standing behind Zazu while he was examining the Knightmare data from his computer. After looking at the data on his computer and learning what they have discovered while interrogating their POW's at the Castle, Zazu eventually summarized it all.

"From what I learned about these new enemy machines, the Knightmare Frames were first addressed conventional vehicles during the first age. In the second age, they started adding new technology by the order of a private group known as the Ashford Foundation. The term "Knightmare" was addressed by the Britannian Army, while their civilians addressed it as "Frame" due to it's non-offensive equipment. They were used for combat since the third age. This time, a mineral called Sakuradite powered them up. As a result, the Knightmare Frames were able to perform various, devastating moves. At the fourth age, they unleashed their first Knightmares upon the battlefield back in your own world, Hikaru."

"So those Knightmare Frames that attack my world seven years ago were….." Hikaru said to herself.

"They were called RPI-11 Glasgows. That was just the beginning of their machine creations," Zazu explained to the Knight of Fire. "They're usually armed with rocket-propelled anchors called Slash Harkens. While on the move, they use self-propelled roller skates attached to their ankles called "Landspinners" to get around places. However, there's more than one generation of Knightmares being deployed on the battlefield and they use more powerful weaponry to do away their opponents with little or no effort. The higher their generation, the more powerful these Knightmares really are. Every pilot that takes control of these robots is usually inside the "hump back" compartment that lies on each Knightmare's back. Sometimes, when defeated, they eject themselves from their destroyed Knightmare, by shooting out their "hump back" cockpit out of their machine."

"Well, how is that these Knightmares are being powered up by Sakuradite?" Geo and Clef asked in unison.

"Inside each Knightmare, they're powered up by a Yggdrasil Drive. Since their power is limited, they can only be recharged by a Sakuradite Energy Filler while in the middle of a battle and out of harms way," Zazu explained further. "Right now, were dealing with the 5th Generation of Knightmare Frames. And the ones that you and the other Magic Knights have fought earlier were called Sutherlands."

"Sutherlands, eh?" Hikaru asked out of curiosity.

"Most of these Knightmares can come in more than one variant, used with a different kind of combat role, like aerial or sniper for instance. So, it's best to watch out on what they're doing. There's no telling what kind of weapons will they be throwing at us. They're also equipped with L307 Reinforced Tungsten metal armor plating, making them invulnerable against the weapons that the Cephirians have right now."

"That explains why our men couldn't make a dent on those enemy robots," Lantis muttered to himself in a cautious tone.

"We still need to find a way to capture some of these Knightmares for scavenging and rebuilding them. So that the armies of Cephiro can gain control of them while helping the Magic Knights on the battlefield." Clef suggested to Zazu and Geo.

"Well, we do need someone who has experience in piloting these robots first, as well as someone that can provide the technology for us to use. Someone who we can trust as our new ally." Geo informed the Master Mage.

"Hikaru, do you know if you had any friends back in your world that can show us how all of this is really done?" Clef asked the ruby-flame knight.

"Not that I know of yet, Clef," Hikaru said, disappointing the rest of her friends. "I'll let you know if I do and bring them in as soon as possible."

"Thank you, Hikaru."Clef said acknowledging her response.

Before anyone could say anything else, one of the Autozamian officers appeared on deck. Upon seeing him at first sight, Geo was the first to salute to his fellow officer, while he saluted back at the sub-command.

"At ease, officer." Geo spoke in a calm tone.

"Sir, we've just received a report that some suspicious people and a White Knightmare Frame were spotted in another village a few kilometers south of the Castle," The officer said, informing Geo Metro.

"Zazu, prepare my GTO!" Geo ordered the young mechanic while heading to the hanger. "Hikaru, are you ready to rock and roll?"

"I don't see why not!" Hikaru said, in an excited tone of voice.

"Hikaru, please be careful out there. We still don't know how strong they really are yet." Clef told the ruby-flame knight in a worried tone.

"You know I will, Clef." Hikaru acknowledged as she, Lantis, Zazu, and Geo left the bridge.

* * *

Outside of the NSX, Hikaru finds herself inside her Rune God once again. Only this time, Geo and his GTO will be accompanying her on the battlefield without the other two Magic Knights. Umi and Selece went with Ascot and his beasts to escort the villagers up North, while Fuu, Windam, and Ferio went to secure the villages in the west, accompanied by a platoon of soldiers riding on huge, four-winged eagles.

As Rayearth and Hikaru waited outside, they see Lantis mounted on his black horse. It had blue flames and is summoned by Lantis' magic whenever he goes places outside of Cephiro's Castle. Despite Lantis' horse having four hooves, it was able to hover in mid-air, a few feet from where Rayearth is hovering.

Before Hikaru could say anything, she spots Geo's GTO shoot up straight into the sky with light-speed from the NSX. It was a green, armored fighting mecha, armed with a huge cannon. On its back, the GTO is equipped with two wing-like thrusters. Impressed to see Geo helping her out, along with Lantis, Hikaru couldn't help but feel relieved that she is getting support from her Magic Swordsman boyfriend and the sub-commander.

"Hikaru, Lantis, can you hear me?!" Geo asked while speaking through his mecha.

"Yes, Geo. Loud and clear!" Hikaru and Lantis responded in unison.

"Good, now follow me guys and stay close," Geo said to Hikaru and Lantis as he moved his GTO towards the south of their position.

As the GTO flew ahead of them, Rayearth and Lantis followed Geo from behind.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the forest behind the southern village, Viletta and Clovis were able to record most of the information in their datalogs with Viletta's laptop, with Suzaku watching them.

"Young women from another world, huh?!" Suzaku muttered to himself after hearing what the baroness just said. "Do you think it may be from somewhere in Area 11?"

"Its possible warrant officer, but we still don't know who yet," Prince Clovis replied in a grim tone. "It could be anyone."

"Well, we still better not let our guard down just because they're women," Viletta told the Prince and the Warrant Officer. "If they were more than a match for our Knightmares, then it could spell disaster to our campaign in Cephiro."

"Then, we might as well capture some prisoners to interrogate," Suzaku suggested the baroness.

"Okay, I'm able to send the data straight to the Britannian Government Bureau back in Area 11," Viletta told the Honorary Britannian and the Britannian Prince. "Let's head back to our ship before we attract any unwanted attention."

As soon as Suzaku went back into his Lancelot, Viletta and Clovis climbed on top of it before the Knightmare moved on it's two wheels, deeper into the forest. While trekking through the dense woods, unknown to the three Britannians that they were being watched by Lafarga, Caldina, and their men from the other side of the forest. As he looked closely at one of the Britannians, Lafarga glared at Prince Clovis with intent to kill.

"Well, if it isn't that spoiled, selfish Prince Clovis of Britannia!" Lafarga growled to himself as he drew out his sword. "I didn't think he'll be back to spy on us after making that selfish demand back there."

* * *

 _Lafarga's Flashback: Several Months Earlier before the Magic Knights arrived_

 _"Greetings, Guard Captain of Cephiro. My name is Clovis vi Britannia, the Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire!" The ecstatic Royal announced to Lafarga._

 _"I am Captain Lafarga of Cephiro's Royal Guard!" Lafarga said in a serious tone before introducing his Cephirian nobles and friends next. "And this is Prince Ferio of Cephiro and Master Mage Clef."_

 _Behind Lafarga, he is accompanied by a large squad of soldiers armed with halberds, along with a handful of archers. Right next to Lafarga, is Prince Ferio and Master Mage Clef of Cephiro, with both of their weapons holstered behind their backs._

 _"Why don't we come inside first before we discuss our diplomatic negotiations, shall we?" Clovis suggested to the stalwart Guard Captain._

 _After for a few minutes of silence, Captain Lafarga and his men let Clovis inside the Mayor's house before discussing their terms. As soon as they sat down, Prince Clovis is sitting across from where the mayor and Lafarga at at, with both of their guards standing right behind them._

 _"My father, Emperor Charles vi Britannia, has foreseen a bright new world filled with raw powerful energy from within. We ask for some assistance in rebuilding our nation with the use of your energy resources." Clovis suggested to the Cephirian nobles._

 _"Why should we?" Prince Ferio asked as he gave Clovis a serious look on his face. "We were already struggling to help bring peace and prosperity after several years of war and confusion amongst our fellow natives."_

 _"The Holy Britannian Empire is referred to as the defeated remnants of our British Empire. We're also struggling to rebuild our nation by conquering 1/3 of the entire world, making them bow at our knees." Clovis explained further. "We're also interested in securing resource deposits from around the world, starting from Pendragon, our capital."_

 _"Well, don't you think that we already had enough in dealing with more than one country?" Ferio said while protesting against Clovis' decree._

 _"My father heard great stories that the legendary Magic Knights helped saved Cephiro from time to time. After they left, abolishing the Pillar System that once controlled that world, we thought for sure that anyone in that country can rebuild it in there own way, as well as sharing some of its resources to other countries that needed it, right?" Clovis continued._

 _"That's only possible if those countries are allies of ours!" Clef responded in a serious tone. "Since the leaders of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren have yielded to us, despite their invasions years ago, we did our best to reinforce and rebuild their countries under peaceful terms, as payment for helping us end the war altogether. Your country, however, is still being called into question, since we don't know anything about the Holy Britannian Empire yet."_

 _"Oh come on, Clef. You country has a unique environment that leaves us Britannians very curious on all accounts of life," Clovis said, trying to persuade the Master Mage with his silver tone._

 _"If that's true, then how did your people behave when they first entered the other countries before ours? Did your people conquer those lands by force or by peaceful diplomacy?" Ferio asked, pressurizing the Britannian Prince mentally._

 _"We happened to be the world's dominant military superpower, while most of the countries we conquered were turned into numbered areas, and addressing its citizens into numbers. After we conquered Japan, for instance, we named it Area 11 and its citizens addressed as elevens." Clovis explained. "_ There was some political and economic disputes in the countries that we have entered. Of course, they refused on us, so we made a bit of forceful act that made them submit to us entirely. With _that said, we have no intention letting anyone else, other than the Britannians, gain any power or freedom, for it will just make our nation unnecessary."_

 _"Are you trying to say that your country will be planning to strip us of everything that Cephiro is working very hard to achieve?" Ferio asked, feeling enraged of where is Clovis is getting at._

 _"Sorry Clovis, but we have no intention of giving up Cephiro to you and your people." Clef protested against the Britannian Prince. "Cephiro already has suffered enough when it was tearing itself apart due to the consequences brought by the Pillar System. To think that you'll start naming us into a different kind of society with a specified number and taking our power away when it was just meant to protect everything that we believed in; it's just going to make things worse for us."_

 _"Well what about the three neighboring countries that entered your country? What were they after?" Clovis asked the Master Mage._

 _"They were competing against each other to see which country will be the one to conquer Cephiro and taking control of the Pillar system, as their newest Pillar," Clef replied in a grim tone. "We didn't fight it out in front of their faces just to make them stop invading Cephiro; it was thanks to the Magic Knights that they were convinced that becoming the Pillar has its major disadvantages. When doing so, they're not allowed to fall in love with anyone but the land itself. So, they eventually gave up their invasions that decided to fight for us to the bitter end."_

 _"That's all in the past, isn't it? Over and done!" Clovis concluded after hearing Clef's speech. "Well, I got something to show you all that will be the error of your ways if you don't submit to the Holy Britannian Empire."_

 _At the snap of his fingers, Clovis summoned one of his guards to bring in a small box to the table. As soon as the small box was brought forth, Clovis opened it up revealing something that almost made Prince Ferio and Clef vomit. It was a couple of severe heads of the slain leaders from the previous countries!_

 _After a few minutes of taking deep breaths and avoiding vomiting all over the floor, Clef and Ferio turned towards Clovis to face him with anger in their eyes._

 _"You dare bring the heads of conquered leaders to our country, as a grim warning?!" Ferio snarled as he was about to draw out his huge crescent sword from his scabbard._

 _"If you want to do this the hard way, so be it!" Clovis smirked as he got off from his seat and left the Mayor's house. "Next time we meet, you better be ready because since you won't submit to us, we Britannians have declare war upon Cephiro!"_

 _After Prince Clovis and his guards left the Mayor's office, Lafarga gave them a hostile look followed by an angry glare, thinking that it will not be the last he'll see from them._

* * *

Back to the present:

After remembering that horrible flashback, Lafarga could not help but worry for the lives of his fellow Cephirians and Caldina. As of now, the guard captain needed to stop the Britannians from gathering information on the Magic Knights for it may put the young girls from the other world in more danger, not just in Cephiro but also in their own world as well.

"Sergeant! Take a regiment of guards with you and surround them at the open field ahead of them!" Lafarga whispered orders to one of his officers.

"Yes sir!" The sergeant whispered back before drawing out his sword while moving on.

On the other side of the forest, Viletta, Clovis, and the Lancelot are about to make their way back to the ship when all of a sudden, a platoon of Cephirian Guards and Archers appeared at the open field, aiming their spears, bows, and crossbows at them.

"It's the Cephirian Soldiers!" Clovis freaked out.

"I'll take care of them!" Viletta acknowledged as she drew out her handgun.

As soon as Viletta jumped off the Lancelot, a squad of her soldiers popped out of the bushes from inside the forest behind her. In an instant, the Cephirian Soldiers charged straight at Viletta and her men in a full-frontal assault.

"OPEN FIRE!" Viletta shouted as she fired her handgun at the charging guards.

Upon hearing her orders, the Britannian soldiers started firing at the Cephirian Guards with their assault rifles. However, some of the guards took out their shields to defend themselves against enemy fire while their archers shot out their arrows and crossbow bolts at them. Some of the guards used charged up their halberds and shot out lighting bolts at the Britannian invaders. While the battle ensued, the Lancelot used its energy shield to defend itself against the Cephirians while protecting Prince Clovis onboard the Knightmare Frame and moving straight to the extraction point.

"Suzaku! Take us out of here!" Prince Clovis shrieked as he held onto the Lancelot.

"Yes, your majesty!" Suzaku acknowledged as he drove the Lancelot to their destination.

As for Viletta, she shot several Cephirian Guards with her handgun before they started closing into her position. Just when the guards came closer to the Britannian soldiers, they engaged the Cephirians in close combat while drawing out their combat knifes and machetes. After Viletta took out several guards with her handgun, she made various disarming and self-defense attacks at those who were about to attack her with their swords and spears. As the fight became intense, Viletta looks up to see Rayearth heading towards the position that the Lancelot and Prince Clovis are at. Upon seeing the Red Rune God again, along with another unidentified flying robot with a huge cannon, Viletta activated her intercom to contact Suzaku.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi, you got trouble coming in from behind!" Viletta said as she tried to warn the Honorary Britannian.

As soon as the Lancelot dropped off Prince Clovis onboard their ship, Rayearth landed right behind the Knightmare Frame, drawing out its Escudo Broadsword with its shield raised up front. For the GTO, it landed next to Rayearth aiming its cannon at Lancelot.

Upon seeing them from the rear camera in his cockpit, Suzaku steered the Lancelot towards the two robots as he drew out one of his Maser Vibration Swords before engaging them into combat.

"So, that must be one of the Rune Gods that attacked the Baroness' squad earlier!" Suzaku muttered to himself. "I don't know how these Magic Knights were able to defend Cephiro against us but I'll show them a thing or two."

In an instant, the Lancelot charged forward with its MVS in its right hand. Upon seeing the White Knightmare makes its first move, Hikaru had little time to react when she raised her shield to block the Lancelot's sword in a heartbeat. Upon impact, Rayearth started skidding backwards as the physical strength of the Lancelot was pushing him back. Before the Lancelot could attack again, Hikaru responded by making a vertical slash with her broadsword only for it to move backwards with its two wheels behind its legs.

"Man, that thing is just as fast as Eagle's FTO," Hikaru thought as she charged forward.

"FLAME ARROW!"

Upon calling forth one of her Fire Spells, Hikaru unleashed a huge fiery missile at the Lancelot. In less than a second, the Lancelot raises its energy shields up high to block Rayearth's flame arrow. Unfortunately, by the time Rayearth's magic struck Lancelot's energy shield, it made an explosion in front of the shield, rending the Knightmare to stagger backwards and cause a vibration inside Suzaku's cockpit.

In retaliation, the Lancelot pulled out a Varis Rifle and aimed it at Rayearth. With just one squeeze from the trigger of the rifle, it unleashed powerful beam at the Rune God. Seeing such firepower closing in on her, Hikaru charged up her Escudo Sword, emitting white flames coming out of her blade. With just one swing, Hikaru's sword unleashed a torrent of white flames at the incoming beam. Upon impact, it exploded in a blinding flash that made Suzaku cover up his eyes in hopes of avoiding it's powerful light.

"Jesus, that Rune God is so not a pushover!" Suzaku thought.

Before his Lancelot could attack Rayearth anymore, Suzaku spots a dark-green armored robot flying up into the air and fired several shots from its huge shoulder cannon. It was GTO. In response to the incoming fire, Suzaku moved the Lancelot to skid and steer around the open area, evading the enemy cannon fire as its shells exploded on the ground, inches away from where the white Knightmare is at.

"HOLD STILL YOU BRITANNIAN VERMIN!" Geo snarled in frustration as he activated the grappling hooks from the GTO's shoulder pads.

In response to the incoming grappling hooks coming from the GTO, the Lancelot fired both of its Slasher Harkens at them, knocking both hooks off course.

* * *

Meanwhile, during the fight between Lafarga's men and Viletta's soldiers, the Britannian soldiers became badly outnumbered from two to one as they were getting attacked from both behind and up front by two Cephirian guards. Not wanting to suffer another massacre again, Viletta ordered her troops to fall back to the Britannian ship and regroup with Suzaku and Prince Clovis. Before Viletta could catch up to her fellow soldiers, Lantis appeared from behind as he shoots out a small beam of light inches from where she was standing.

"Where do you think you're going Britannian?" Lantis asked warily as he aimed his blue light saber at the baroness.

"I don't know why would you people be rooting for the Magic Knights. If I ever find out who they really are, I'll be heading straight for a noble seating back in Britannia after I capture them and bring them to the Emperor himself!" Viletta smirked as she aimed her handgun at the Magic Swordsman.

In less than a second, Viletta started several shots of her handgun at Lantis. In one quick motion with his hand, Lantis warded off the enemy fire with his magical barrier shield and charged straight at the baroness with both of his hands onto his sword. Unfortunately, after Lantis made several sweeps with his sword, Viletta kept doing all sorts of back flips, dodging the blade before stepping onto his black-armored shoulder pads. At the same time, Viletta jumped off Lantis' shoulder pads and did a forward flip before landing on the ground with both of her feet. As Viletta turned around, she fired more shots at Lantis, aiming straight for his back. Then again, Lantis casted his barrier shield, with Lafarga appearing next to the baroness.

The moment Lafarga raised his sword up high, he struck at the ground and unleashed a pressurized wave of destruction heading towards Viletta. The moment Viletta saw Lafarga's attack closing in on her, she jumped up high, missing the wave by mere inches from where her feet are. As soon as Viletta landed on her two feet again, she sees both of the swordsmen staring straight at her, with their swords pointing at her face.

"Were not going to let you get in their way because they saved our country more than once. So if you think you're going to get away after eavesdropping on what we know about the Magic Knights, you should be ashamed for encouraging such selfish greed and lust for power," Lafarga hissed as he appeared behind Lantis while drawing out his sword.

"I'll show you selfish greed!" Viletta cackled as she hurled a smoke grenade at both of the swordsmen.

As soon as the grenade hit the ground, a huge cloud of smoke appeared before Lantis and Lafarga. During the confusion, Viletta ran off before catching up to her men.

"I'm pretty sure that it will not be the last we'll see from that Britannian witch," Lantis assumed as he put his sword back underneath his black cape.

At the open field on where the Britannian ship is, Prince Clovis spotted two huge ships hovering above the sky from one of the ship's monitors. Upon seeing this, the Britannian Prince opened up his royal, private channel to warn his subjects of this new presence.

* * *

Back at the open field, after the Lancelot repelled the GTO's hooks with its Slasher Harkens, the white Knightmare returned fire with its VARIS Rifle as it fired several powerful beams at the Green Mecha. After dodging the rail shots while in mid-air, the GTO zeroed into the Lancelot and drew out its laser sword coming out from its right gauntlet. In less than a minute, the Lancelot activated its energy shield to block the GTO's laser sword immediately. During the struggle to keep the Lancelot's guard up, Suzaku was feeling overwhelmed when fighting against two huge robots all at once.

"What the hell is that thing?" Suzaku muttered to himself, mentioning the green mecha closing in onto his Knightmare Frame.

Before he could say anymore, Suzaku spots Rayearth from his left side camera, charging straight at him. As soon as Rayearth is about to make a clean chop with its huge broadsword, Suzaku steered his Lancelot backwards 50 feet away from both the Rune God and GTO. As a result, Rayearth's sword only hit the ground instead of Lancelot.

"What a fast Knightmare Frame!" Hikaru thought to herself as she pulled her sword out of the dirt and pointed its blade up to the sky.

Before Suzaku could direct his Knightmare to fight either the Red Rune God or the GTO, he received a call from one of his channels inside his cockpit of the Lancelot.

"Warrant Officer, enemy reinforcements have arrived in Cephiro's airspace!" Prince Clovis spoke through the channel. "Withdraw at once and return to our ship!"

Upon hearing what the Britannian Prince said in regards to his orders, Suzaku sees two huge unidentified ships flying a 100 meters above his Lancelot. They happened to be a huge red Chinese Dragon and a floating island-like Arabic Palace. After seeing a full glimpse of the two huge ships, Suzaku steered his Lancelot away from the two robots before but not before leaving a fair warning.

"We'll settle this fight later, Magic Knight of Cephiro!" Suzaku told the flaming Rune God. "For now, we'll forfeit this match."

After seeing the Lancelot steer away from the open field and went onboard the Britannian Ship, Hikaru and Geo could help but wonder what kind of Knightmare Frame it is, apart from the Sutherlands. Above her, Hikaru sees the Dome of Fahren and the Flying Fortress of Chizeta hovering in Cephiro's airspace. There is no doubt in Hikaru's mind at all; the princesses of Chizeta and Fahren have arrived in Cephiro just in time. Before Hikaru could say anything, Geo makes his speech towards the Knight of Fire through his intercom.

"I'm able to scan the data from this new Knightmare Frame, Hikaru! Let's head back to the Castle before sorting this mess out!"

Just when Rayearth and GTO flew up into the sky again, they see Lafarga and Caldina capture the remaining Britannian stragglers that weren't able to escape with Viletta and Clovis. As for Lantis, he went back on his magic horse before following Hikaru back to the Castle.

* * *

Back in Area 11, somewhere deep in the city slums, C.C and Kallen reached their destination inside a warehouse. It was an abandoned warehouse that is being used as a hideout for the Black Knights of Japan. All around the two women, there were storage crates being stacked on top of each other, with some almost reaching up to the building's ceiling. Upon entering the building, the two women meet their masked leader, Zero. In between the two women and Zero, there were two rows of men and women dressed in black uniforms with grey linings. They happened to be the Black Knights fighting against the Holy Britannian Empire for the freedom of Japan. Some of them were wearing black caps, while others were wearing purple visors covering up half of their faces or bands wrapped around their heads. Black Knights have Knightmare Frames stationed next to them. Unlike Britannian's Knightmares, the Black Knight's Knightmares have been converted into blackish colorings. As C.C and Kallen approached Zero, he makes his speech to discuss their report in the alternate world that the Britannians have entered.

"C.C, Kallen, what was your report back at the alternate world?" Zero asked in a intense, robotic voice.

"When the Baroness and her men attacked one of the villages in the alternate world, three new robots appeared from the sky above them," C.C said as she informed Zero of her findings before Kallen stepped in.

"From what the inhabitants of this other world proclaimed, they were addressing them as the Magic Knights of Cephiro!" Kallen added.

Upon hearing this twisted turn of events, most of the Black Knights were muttering to themselves in shock about this new type of Knightly Force existing in alternate world.

"The Magic Knights, you say?" Zero asked in astonishment. "What else did you discover?"

"The alternate world that Viletta and her men attacked is known as Cephiro, the land of will," C.C continued. "When the Magic Knights arrived, they immediately attacked the baroness' men head on without any hesitation."

"We're also able to record some of their fighting moves on tape," Kallen said informing the rest of the Black Knights.

As soon as Kallen inserted the tape from her recording camera into the TV, she turned it on and revealed the whole fight scene between the Magic Knight's robots and the Britannian Knightmare Frames. Upon seeing all of this, most of the Black Knights couldn't help but stare at it with impressive awe and wonder.

In the middle of the crowd, one of the Black Knights was getting so excited in seeing such a display of performances from the Magic Knights in Cephiro. He had a red band wrapped around his head and reddish-brown hair. He happens to be Shinichiro Tamaki, one of the Black Knights resistance members.

"Wow, that was awesome. If I didn't know any better, I would've thought there be another powerful squad of warriors that may rival to that of the Four Holy Swords of the JLF!" Tamaki cackled out loud after seeing the Magic Knights' robots butcher up the Britannia's Sutherlands like there is no tomorrow.

"Well, I'll be damned!" A yellow-haired women said happily as she appeared right behind the group of Black Knights watching the recorded fight on TV while holding onto a thin, brown corn cob pipe with her right hand.

As the women stepped forward while watching the fight scene on TV, she had turquoise eyes and fair brown skin. On her forehead, she had a purple bindi. In addition, the yellow-haired woman was wearing a white lab coat, an orange vest and dark-red pants. Her name was Rakshata Chawla, an Indian scientist and head of the Black Knight's research and development team.

"It seems that the new world has robots of their own deployed out on the frontlines of the battlefield," Rakshata snickered with delight. "I would like to do some research on the machines that these so-called Magic Knights are using."

"You mean we are to go capture them as soon as possible?" Tamaki asked the female Indian scientist.

"Apart from the Knightmares, I never saw robots throw strange but devastating powers at their foes like that," Rakshata added in. "If we were to bring in one of their machines, I would like to go over some tests with them."

"And what of the Magic Knights inside them?" Kallen asked the female Black Knight researcher.

"We might as well try to greet them first before offering them the chance to form an allegiance with them and the country that they're defending against the Britannians!" Zero suggested to the entire group.

"Are you sure about that, Zero?" Kallen asked the Black Knight leader.

"Well, if these Magic Knights have originated from somewhere in Area 11, then they might be able to yield to us as well, confirming that they just happened to be another group of terrorists fighting back against the Holy Britannian Empire. In this rebellion, it'll be portrayed as the Knights' Battlefront!" Zero continued his speech with Kallen. "Kallen, who are to gather a squad of Black Knights, go back to Cephiro, find the Magic Knights and their robots, and bring them in."


	5. Black and Red

Chapter 4: Black and Red

After heeding Zero's new orders, Kallen goes on board her Guren Type-02 before heading out with a squad of Black Knight Knightmares. Kallen's Guren happens to be a Red Knightmare Frame with an orange cockpit on its back. It's armed with a metal Right Arm-Inbuilt Radiation Unit and a Fork Knife on its left hand. Kallen's Knightmare was designed Rakshawta and is built by the Kyoto House in Japan.

Kallen appears as the Ace and Captain of the Black Knights' Zero squad. Right now, she is wearing a magenta suit when prepping for battle with her Guren. She may be both Britannian and Japanese. However, when the Holy Britannian Empire invaded Japan, she could not risk losing her support from most of her friends that were Japanese. Because she lost her brother to the Britannians and that her mother is all that she had left, Kallen was obsessed with rebelling against the Britannian forces for the sake of liberating Japan. In school, however, Kallen did her best to keep her Black Knight identity under a low profile by changing her hairstyle and wearing school clothes instead. In her mind, she believes that anyone attempting to expose her terrorism to the public must be silenced immediately. She may have a grudge against the Britannians that threatened to take away her friends from her, but when she met the Student Council of the Ashford Academy, Kallen decided to blend in but with a feisty attitude. It was by the approval of her stepmother, Mrs. Stadtfeld, who happens to be a Britannian Noble.

Earlier, Kallen's real mother, Ms. Kozuki, feel in love with a Britannian Noble who happens to be Mrs. Stadtfeld's husband. Unfortunately, after being adopted to the Britannian Nobles, despite Kallen's consent, Mrs. Stadtfeld ordered Ms. Kozuki not to see her again. So, Ms. Kozuki decided to take her role as a maid in the Stadtfeld Household while experiencing episodes of abuse by the Stadtfelds and the other Britannian servants.

After forming the Black Knights, Zero and Kallen were able to recover Ms. Kozuki during one of the raids on the Refrain drug cartels. It turns out that Ms. Kozuki was supposedly arrested for the use of Refrain and was sentenced to 20 years in prison until that day. From Zero's point of view, the refrain drug was defined as an illegal drug that invokes the user's good past experiences, though it also makes them unable to speak for awhile. To make matters worse, the Refrain became quite popular amongst the Elevens and that it was smuggled into Area 11 by the Chinese Federation. When Kallen brought her mother to the hospital for her to recover, she vowed to help change the world while siding with the resistance of Japan.

As soon as Kallen and her squad left the warehouse, they went to the docks during the night and stood by for further orders. Since the docks is now part of the Black Knight territory, they used that area to build a huge gateway similar to the one from the Britannian Government Bureau in Area 11, using the blueprints that they stole from one of the Britannia's Research Centers weeks earlier, except that this gateway was powered by a generator coming from a nearby dock house. Upon arrival, Kaname Ohgi appears from one of the trucks, revealing himself to be the Deputy Commander of the Black Knights.

Ohgi was once a leader of the resistance group fighting against the Britannians, until Zero came in. He had brown hair and grey eyes and is 26 years old. After Zero formed the Black Knights, Ohgi handed over his leadership of the resistance cell towards the masked hero of Japan. After seeing Ohgi walk up to Kallen and the Guren, she started to wonder what will he want her to do right now.

"Kallen, I received word that Zero had a change of plans!" Ohgi announced to the B.K Captain.

"What is it, Ohgi?!" Kallen asked as her right eyebrow lifted up due to her curiosity.

"Before we can proceed into Cephiro's realm, Zero wanted you to go back to the Ashford Academy to do some investigation on finding any clues that might lead us straight to the Magic Knights!" Ohgi suggested to Kallen. "Your team will be waiting at the docks until then."

"I understand!" Kallen acknowledged as she got off her Guren.

Without giving it another thought, Kallen proceeded onto Ohgi's truck before leaving the docks.

"I wonder if there's any connection between the three young women at the Ashford Academy and the Magic Knights that were sighted in Cephiro," Kallen thought to herself as she was sitting in the shotgun seat of the truck. "If there is, then how?"

As the truck went down the street, Kallen and Ohgi could see the sun rising from the horizon, indicating that another new day begins.

* * *

Back in Cephiro, Princesses Aska, Tarta, and Tatra arrived at port as they disembarked from their ships hovering next to the Castle. Upon arrival, the three Princesses were all thrilled to see Umi and Fuu appear before their very eyes.

Aska immediately embraced Fuu out of happiness and excitement. When Princess Aska first came to Cephiro, she wanted to become the Pillar in order to filled the land with sweets and pastries. However, after losing to a archery duel with Fuu, Aska was told that she was not allowed to fall in love with anyone but the land itself. Upon hearing this, Aska thought about what Fuu said for awhile. Eventually, after driving away the NSX with her Giant Sang Yun Illusion, Aska was able to accept Fuu's friendship and Cephiro's allegiance for she had deep love over the people of Fahren and does not want to accept the position as Cephiro's Pillar no more. In addition, her advisors Quang Ain and Sang Yun were completely satisfied when Aska finally did the right thing for both countries, despite being all spoiled and demanding.

For Umi, she was greeted by a stern Tarta, much to Umi's annoyance. They may have been into a one many arguements with each other over both duels and personal behavior but it didn't change the fact that thanks to Umi winning over Tarta and Tatra, the Chizetian Princesses have yielded to aid Cephiro as one of their allied countries. As of now, the twin princesses of Chizeta gave in their support for both Umi and all of Cephiro during the final battle with Lady Debonair.

"So Fuu, how's it going back in your own world?" Lady Aska asked while delight.

"Well, I don't know anymore Ms. Aska!" Fuu said in a worried tone.

"Is it because of those Britannian bullies?" Sang Yung asked the Knight of Wind.

"At first, we didn't like how the Britannians were treating our fellow elevens back there, but when we met the student council at Ashford Academy, I thought for sure that we can at least learn from each other without any bloodshed," Umi said. "But they all deceived us when they entered Cephiro and attempted to take this land by force."

"It's a good thing we came by just in time," Princess Tarta said to herself before speaking to Umi. "We did believe that if those so-called Britannians wanted war and violence, then we'll give them a piece of our mind."

"I'll do anything to repay you, Fuu!" Lady Aska said with determination. "With all four countries fighting together as one, we'll be invincible."

"You got that right, Lady Aska!" Geo said as he, Hikaru, and Zazu appeared behind Umi and Fuu.

The moment the two Magic Knights and the three Princesses turned around to face Hikaru and the two Autozamians, Umi and Fuu stepped in before asking Hikaru about what happened from her recent fight.

"Ms. Hikaru, we heard that you and Mr. Geo ran into some strange white Knightmare Frame!" Fuu said out of worry. "He didn't do anything hurtful to you, did he?"

"Of course not, he ran like a frightened bilge rat the moment he saw the ships from Chizeta and Fahren appear above him!" Hikaru laughed.

"Anyway, I did analyzed the data and performance that this white Knightmare was displaying on the battlefield!" Geo told everyone as he took out his scanning visor.

In an instant, Geo's visor revealed a tall rectangular screen, displaying the white Knightmare that he and Hikaru fought in the southern village. Upon seeing this, Tatra and Aska started to get totally excited all of a sudden.

"Oh my, that's looks really shiny!" Tatra chuckled as she smiled in a confident manner. "I wanted one of those!"

"ME TOO! ME TOO!" Lady Aska chirpled loudly as she jumped up and down.

"TATRA!" Tarta screeched as she scolded with her elder sister.

"Lady Aska, please!" Sang Yung said, scolding his young mistress. "This is no time for admiration. We're dealing with a whole new invading army full of hostile robots and ships that came from where the Magic Knights came from!"

"Ah hem! Sang Yung's right. That white robot is a lot more deadlier than those Sutherlands from yesterday!" Geo grunted, trying to get everyone his attention. "The white Knightmare that Hikaru and I ran into goes by the name "Lancelot," a prototype that happens to be an experimental Knightmare Frame from the 7th Generation. Unlike the rest of the other Knightmare Frames, it still lacks an ejector seat. Nevertheless, its armed with a pair of Maser Vibration Swords, which is powerful enough to cut through anything, and a powerful railgun known as the Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire Rifle or VARIS Rifle for short. It just happens to be just as fast as Eagle's FTO."

"Well, if that thing is under the command of the Holy Britannian Empire, then we may have came across a challenger that's not going to go down that easily!" Umi muttered to herself.

"My point exactly, Umi!" Hikaru told her blue-haired friend. "I'm sure we'll be seeing him again and when we do, I hope we'll find his weak spot before he even sees it coming."

"Hikaru, we have another mission for you!" Clef announced as he appeared right next to Hikaru.

As soon as everyone turned to face the Master Mage, Hikaru spoke up trying to understand what she's going to do next.

"Yes, Clef?" The red-haired knight asked.

"We want you to go back to your own world with Umi and Fuu, along with Zazu Torque. So that you'll conduct your investigation on how did these invaders entered Cephiro's atmosphere. You may need to work undercover, unless instructed otherwise." Clef announced to the Magic Knights and the Autozamian Mechanic. "But first, raise your gloves up high!"

Without saying anything else, the three Magic Knights raised the gloves with their orbs above their heads. In an instant, Clef raised his staff up high. In a blinding flash, the staff shot out three beams at the Magic Knight's gloves simultaneously. At first, the girls thought that nothing happen. However, before any of the knights could say anything, Clef continues with his speech with them.

"I'm able to channel in the magic energy in your gloves so that they'll be able to adapt to the world that you're in. The moment you head back to your world, your gloves will not fade away from you. You'll still maintain your powers as the Magic Knights. However, you still need to keep your gloves in a safe hiding place so that you won't draw any unwanted attention," Clef explained to the three Elevens. "There will be some battles that will take place back in your own world. But do not fret. I still sense that you girls will not be fighting the Britannians alone."

"What do you mean we won't be fighting alone?" Umi asked impatiently.

"I saw a vision in my dreams that a mysterious girl and a masked, hooded figure will soon appear before your very eyes, along with an army of fighters and mechs, dressed in black, at their command." Clef announced in a serious tone. "It won't be what you guys think, for they have their own agenda of uniting all of Japan, as well as outside of Japan. You'll all see very soon."

"What about the rest of our friends?" Fuu asked the Master Mage. "They may not stand a chance without us!"

"We'll still contact you from Cephiro, incase they launch any more attacks upon us," Geo told the Knight of Wind. "For now, just watch over Zazu Torque, while he finds a way to hack into the Britannian's research. We'll watch over the garrisons around Cephiro for now."

"Understood!" The Magic Knights replied in unison.

After listening to Clef's speech, the three girls and Zazu held hands together, with Hikaru chanting another spell from her mind. In less than a minute, a white light engulfed the four and before anyone could see what was coming, the three girls and boy all vanished without a trace.

"Clef, do you think Zazu will be okay with them in their own world?" Geo asked, showing concern over the young Autozamian.

"One can only help, Geo!" Clef responded with full confidence. "If they can help save Cephiro, they'll also be able to help save their homeland."

* * *

At the crack of dawn, another new day in the Ashford Academy begins. Kallen was sitting at a nearby desk while looking out the window. In her mind, she could not help but wonder if the three school girls have any connection to the strange huge machines that appeared in Cephiro. If so, how and why? Before Kallen knew it, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu entered her classroom as they get ready for studying.

"Hey girls, did you ever hear the latest news from the other world?" Kallen asked trying to get into their conversation.

"No, I haven't!" Hikaru answered towards Kallen. "Why?"

Before Kallen could say anything, Madam President Milly Ashford entered the classroom while holding a newspaper, talking about the latest headlines. Milly happens to be a tall young women that is 18 years old with blond hair and dark blue eyes. She is the granddaughter of Ruben K. Ashford, the superintendent of the Ashford Academy, and is known to be the President of the Academy's Student Council. Upon meeting Kallen, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, Milly let out a joyful smile as she greeted all four girls at once.

Behind the President, there is Shirely Fettel. She had long, bright orange hair and yellow-green eyes. She was known for her kindness, cheerful, and highly intelligent well-being. Shirely happens to be very close to Lelouch. As a result, most of the Student Council was suspecting that Shirley had a crush on the former Britannian Prince, addressing him as Lu-Lu for short. In any other case, when she and Milly met Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, they got a little carried away when they made fun of them for being Elevens. However, after going over their paperwork, Milly discovered that they all came from various Junior High private schools, in which made them ascend towards Middle Class students with higher education, waiting to be transferred. Upon hearing about this, Milly hosted an attendance party for the three middle class elevens when spending their first days in the Academy.

Upon seeing President Milly and Shirley enter the class, the three girls and Kallen greeted them with a calm, happy response.

"Okay everyone, before we can begin class, there is a news report coming from the Britannian Reporter on TV." Milly announced in a confident tone.

As Milly turned on the TV, the screen revealed a female reporter sitting in front of a desk. On her right, another small screen appeared revealing three colorful robots appearing from the skies to do battle against the Britannian Forces. Upon seeing this, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu did their best to keep quiet about this and act natural and nonchalant about it, despite that it was their robots that appeared on the battlefield.

"Greetings citizens, this is the Britannian News Network reporting to you live!" The reporter announced. "It has been discovered yesterday, that three unidentified Knightmares appeared out of nowhere and ambushed a full squad of Britannian Knightmares lead by Baroness Viletta Nu at the new world outside of Area 11!"

After announcing the news description from the female reporter, the TV screen changed, revealing Baroness Viletta, along with Prince Clovis and Suzaku Kururugi.

"Thank you, reporter! I'll take it from here!" Viletta spoke on the microphone before describing the details on the latest news headlines. "We we're about to neutralize another village from the new world, by the order of Prince Clovis, until three strange new machines appeared from the sky. Unfortunately, we couldn't hold them off and consequently, my entire squad was either dead or captured by the natives of this new world. Suzaku, you're on the air!"

After hearing the baroness' speech, Suzaku was seen on TV as Viletta handed him the microphone before making his statements during the news report. As Suzaku makes his speech, another 2 screens appeared behind him, revealing the fights that occurred in front of Viletta's forces and the Lancelot. Unknown to Kallen, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, the Lancelot was being piloted by Suzaku from the start.

"I was sent by Princess Cornelia to escort the baroness and her brother Prince Clovis to gather some info about these unidentified machines that attacked Viletta's regiment!" Suzaku explained through the microphone. "It turns out that we have another new threat to deal with, than just the Black Knights themselves or the hostile natives of the new world. The natives of the new world were addressing them as something called the "Magic Knights from another world! Despite these new warriors not being part of the new world, they were all being hailed as heroes for some unexplained reason. Whoever these new knights are, we will not rest until we'll find a way to hunt them down and bring them to justice by the order of the Holy Britannian Empire!"

As soon as Suzaku finished his speech, the Honorary Britannian handed the microphone back to the Baroness without hesitation.

"And now, we have Jeremiah Gottwald on the air!" Viletta announced as she handed over the microphone to a tall man in a blue military officer's uniform.

Jeremiah appears as an 28-year old man with teal hair color and orange eyes. Much to his annoyance, he was sometimes known as "Orange Boy" because of his eyes. Despite his humiliating names, Jeremiah happens to be an elite Knightmare Frame Pilot in the Holy Britannian Empire and is serving under the military in Britannia's Pureblood faction.

"Greetings, fellow Britannians and Purists!" The Teal-haired military officer introduced in a intense tone of voice. "We now know that as long as these so-called Magic Knights remain at large, we cannot continue our conquest in the new world, which is somehow known as Cephiro the land of will by most of the natives living there. Let me assure you all, that they cannot hope to do to us what those filthy Black Knights threatened to do to us over the past few weeks. We'll capture them, along with Zero and the Black Knights. With that said, "ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

Upon hearing Jeremiah's speech, the rest of the Britannian nobles followed suit along with him. After making the speeches from Viletta, Suzaku, and Jeremiah, the screen finally returns to the reporter sitting in front of her desk.

"We still have yet to find out who these new Knights really are piloting those huge robots in the new world. From what Suzaku said through his speech: Are they from Area 11? Are they from the Holy Britannia Empire attempting to overthrow their own country? Or are they from another country outside of Area 11 and Britannia? Please stay tuned for more information." The female reporter said, giving out questions towards the public in a calm tone. "Thanks for listening to the Britannian News Network. We hope to see you soon!"

After the reporter finished her speech, Milly turned off the TV before starting class.

"Unbelievable! First the Black Knights, and now the Magic Knights?" Shirley frowned to herself. "I wonder how did they came to be in the first place?"

As Kallen stood there feeling unamused, she turns towards the three female elevens with small smiles on their faces. Feeling suspicious, Kallen wrote a note to herself in order to send it to C.C later on during the day.

Meanwhile during the school hours, C.C was seen walking across the balcony while looking up to the sky. She is now wearing a female school uniform and has two ponytails, tied up to the back of her green hair. As she looked down, C.C pulled out a note that Kallen gave her from her pocket. After reading the letter, C.C came up with a question inside her head.

"I'll be damned if the Magic Knights would show up somewhere in Area 11," The green-haired girl muttered to herself as she leaned on the hand rails on top of the balcony. "I wonder why would those three young women are being so confident about themselves? Maybe their hiding something from Zero and the Black Knights."

As soon as C.C went back inside the school, she finds herself in the hallways. On her left, C.C spotted an unfamiliar boy that is wearing a brown mechanic's uniform. He had a green hard helmet and is wearing working gloves. On the boy's left hand, he was carrying a small suitcase while holding onto a communicator with his right hand. It was Zazu Torque in disguise. Unbeknownst to the young mechanic, C.C was watching him from a distance as he entered the school's library.

"I don't think I remember seeing that young man before," C.C said to herself, referring to a disguised Zazu Torque. "Maybe that boy knows something about the Magic Knights that Kallen and Zero doesn't."

Not wanting to stand around, C.C quietly followed Zazu into the library. As soon as the green-haired girl entered the library, she sees Zazu inside a private room with a Computer on top of a desk. The next thing that happened is when Zazu took out his head phones before logging onto the computer. As C.C approached Zazu, she became curious on what is the young boy up to. The moment she got closer, Zazu turned around to see the green-haired girl in his sights.

"Hello there, you might you be? Are you new in school?" C.C. asked, without showing any emotions towards the young boy.

"Oh Yeah, my name is Zazu Torque," The young undercover boy answered. "I'm just taking a tour around the school, that's all."

"Are you sure about that, Zazu?" C.C asked suspiciously.

"Yes I am. Let's just say that I'm doing some computer assignments for my friends," Zazu said nervously.

"Friends, eh?!" C.C thought to herself before moving away from Zazu.

* * *

Meanwhile, in one of the dorms, C.C appeared at the doorway only for her to meet Lelouch. For a long time, C.C hadn't told anyone that Lelouch also known as Zero of the Black Knights. In other words, C.C kept it all a secret between her and the former Prince of Britannia. When C.C gave Lelouch his Geass, it was meant to fulfill his contract that C.C offered. What everyone didn't know is that C.C isn't her real name. However, only Lelouch knew about the girl's real name in which was never mentioned for a long time. Despite being biologically 16 years old, C.C have been living for more than a hundred years due to her immortality. Now that she sees Lelouch in her sights all alone, the green haired girl approached him before making her speech in front of him.

"Lelouch, I may have found a possible witness that might know something about the Magic Knights seen in Cephiro!" C.C spoke in calm tone.

"Is that so, C.C?" Lelouch asked out of curiosity. "Now that you mentioned it, I did saw the Lancelot fighting another robot than rather just that Rayearth mech at the new world."

"I suspect that there is a young man hanging out with the three female elevens as if he already knew them for a long time," C.C continued.

"Who might that be?" Lelouch replied towards the immortal witch.

"His name happens to be Zazu Torque, possibly a suspicious outsider that is neither an Eleven nor a Britannian!" C.C said while answering Lelouch's question. "He might know something about the fight between the 2 robots against one."

"Do you think you can keep a close eye on this Zazu, then?" Lelouch asked, making a request towards C.C. "I may need to speak with him myself."

"With pleasure, Lelouch!" C.C said as she left Lelouch's dorm.

After C.C left the room, another girl appeared from the dinning room. She had sandy brown hair and is always sitting on a wheel chair, wearing a white and green dress. Her name happens to be Nunnally Lamperouge, Lelouch's little sister. Ever since on the day that their mother died, Nunnally's eyes remained shut for a long time due to their father's Geass. Despite Nunnally being physically disabled, she's always kind-hearted and understanding to those around her. Just like Lelouch, Nunnally happens to be a former member of the Britannian Royal Family that is exiled, only to serve as political hostages with the Empire took over Area 11.

"So big brother, are you having a second thoughts about those three transferred students?" Nunnally asked Lelouch, referring to the three Elevens. "I know they maybe Middle Class Elevens, but they're not bad people. I do believe that something happened to those young women that made them show great compassion, and independent determination."

"Well Nunnally, it may be more than just that," Lelouch thought. "Despite them being mistreated by the other Britannians outside of Ashford, they not as scared as the rest of the Elevens for some reason."

"Maybe you should go talk to them a little bit more to see if they're hiding something," Nunnally suggested to Lelouch.

Upon hearing Nunnally's advice, Lelouch came up with another idea in his head. If he believed that those three Elevens are somehow connected to the Magic Knights, he might be gaining another good advantage of building a world where her sister can find happiness. After thinking about it for awhile, Lelouch walked out the door, leaving Nunnally behind while she started working on her origami, and closed the door behind him.

* * *

In another part of the school, Umi and Shirley were both competing in a swimming competition inside a huge school swimming pool. The pool had several rows of floating buoys on top of the water, used to separate the competitors from crashing into each other. They're both wearing female swimsuits during the event, along with 8 other competitors. As for Fuu and Hikaru, they were both cheering for Umi during the competition with "Woo's" and "Yeah's." As for Nina, Milly, and Rivalz, they were cheering for Shirley to win against Umi. Just when Milly stood on the sidelines, outside of the pool, she blows her whistle, indicating the start of the swimming race competition. Upon hearing the whistle noise, Umi and Shirley dived in head first before doing a breast stroke in the swimming pool.

For a long time, Umi has been practicing on how to swim. Ever since she became the Knight of Water, Umi always had a fascination of swimming for a long time. In her point of view, Umi was able to find swimming as her second sport, apart from her fencing tournaments. After learning on how to be a swimmer for two years, Umi was almost paddling as just as fast as Shirley is. However, Shirley was swimming up neck to neck with Umi, which lead to a unexpected twist in the swimming race. As soon as they reached the finish line, Shirley's head touched the goal, declaring the Britannian student the winner. For Umi, she started pouting in disappointment, though Hikaru and Fuu did their best to cheer her up.

"Don't get to cocky, Shirley!" Umi scolded with the orange-haired swimmer. "Next time, you won't be so lucky!"

"Ha! You can tell that to President Milly!" Shirley grunted out of amusement.

After the competition, Umi went to the girl's locker room to revert back to her school uniform, with Hikaru and Fuu waiting outside. As Umi came out, she felt a little more satisfied in doing more exercise than usual.

"I missed being a fencing captain back in the old days!" Umi complained to herself about her past, favorite activities three years ago.

"Well, it's never too late to try new things, Ms. Umi!" Fuu told the disgruntled blue-haired girl. "I went to an art club to learn on how to draw and paint landscapes and forest sceneries upon entering the Ashford Academy."

"As for me, I went to gym class to do acrobatics!" Hikaru spoke in a excited tone of voice.

"Did you guys miss doing Kendo and Archery?" Umi asked her two friends about their past sports.

"We do!" Hikaru and Fuu said in unison. "But we do have to stop living in the past. Right now, we're just senior instructors that find lecturing a little bit boring."

"Anyway, let's go meet up with Zazu Torque to see if we can find out a little bit more about the Britannian Government!" Umi whispered to the two female elevens.

As they moved on, Kallen was secretly following them as she appeared from the school's main entrance.

* * *

Back in Cephiro, Clef summoned all the leaders from the three countries to form a council meeting to discuss their battle plans against the Britannian Forces. They're all gathered around a huge round table that is stationed inside Clef's study. Across the table, there is Geo Metro, Lady Aska, and Tarta and Tatra. As they stood by waiting for Clef's speech, they watched closely at the round table. In the middle of the table, it was displaying a geographical landscape that is stretching 250 miles all-around Cephiro's Castle.

"So Geo, is there anymore movement revolving around the Holy Britannian Empire?" Clef asked the tall Autozamian sub-commander.

"Not yet, Clef!" Geo answered in a anxious tone. "Though, my scouts reported that they have setup various camps near this huge mountain up north."

In the midst of Geo's sentence, he pointed out a couple of big red dots that were seen around a huge mountain, north of the Castle. Upon seeing the data, the leaders of the three countries defined the red dots as the enemy encampments. As Geo surveyed the scene around the mountain, he also pointed out a flag bearing the Holy Britannian Empire, which is surrounded by the red dots.

"The flag surrounding those red dots indicate their mobile command Center, which is stationed up on the mountain side." Geo continued as he used his fingers to bring up another screen above the map. "From what our scouts reported, the Britannians called it the G-1 Base."

As Geo brought up a full-screen of the G-1 Base, it revealed a huge, purple land-cruiser that's also used as a field hospital. In front of the G-1 Base, there is Knightmare Frames and tanks escorting the command center on the mountain.

"These mobile fortresses were usually housed by a Britannian Commander or someone from the Imperial Royal Family of the Holy Britannian Empire!" Geo announced to the group as they all gasped in shock.

"Wait! Do you mean that this snobbish Prince Clovis is..." Lady Aska asked before her question is interrupted by Geo Metro.

"It's possible that Prince Clovis might be inside that G-1 Base during his invasion in Cephiro, Lady Aska!" Geo said, while finishing her sentence.

"Well, I'd say we send that Clovis freak a little guardian spirit djinn greeting!" Tarta smirked as she locked her left fist into her right hand.

"Or maybe bring forth Giant Sang Yun to crush his forces to a pulp!" Lady Aska grinned.

"I understand you want to have at e'm, ladies, but we can't go charging at them yet," Geo told the two princesses. "They'll be protected by various Knightmares and other vehicles that'll rain flawless destruction on our forces."

"Well, what about those Knightmares that we have secured?" Tarta and Aska both asked in unison.

"The Cephirans are still working on how to operate the Knightmares with the weapons they possess," Clef explained to the princesses of Chizeta and Fahren. "About a score of our men were able to succeed, thanks to the Autozamian officers."

"Also, Ferio, Lafarga, and Caldina were already getting the hang of them in a few hours thanks to me," Geo grinned with delight. "Though, we may need to gather some equipment for the Knightmares because some of the Mecha weapons we have onboard the NSX are invalid."

"Geo, do you still have Zazu in touch with you on your communicator?" Clef asked the Autozam sub-commander.

"Let's see here!" Geo muttered to himself as he pulled out his communicator. "Zazu, come in. Are you there?!"

After a few seconds of silence, Zazu started responding in a clear tone of voice.

" _Yes Geo, this is Zazu reporting sir!_ " The voice from the communicator spoke to Geo's ear.

"What have you found so far?" Geo asked while speaking on his communicator.

" _The Britannians are using some sort of huge gateway at their Government Bureau, which is being powered up by a huge amount of Sakuradite, stored in the power generators! Also, we have a Princess Cornelia who is in charge of Area 11, as their Viceroy and pilot of a Knightmare Frame called Gloucester. She also happens to be the Chief General of Britannia's finest warriors in her Imperial Army_."

"Do you have the data for this Gloucester?" Geo asked Zazu as he continued to speak with his communicator.

" _Negative, we have still yet to discover the whereabouts of Princess Cornelia_." Zazu responded in a grim tone.

"What about the Magic Knights? Are they still with you?" Geo asked further.

" _Hold on a sec, Geo. Someone's coming!_ " Zazu said as he halted his conversation with the sub-commander.

As the communicator paused, Clef, Geo, Tarta, and Lady Aska heard someone talking to Zazu from the other side. The next thing that happened is when they heard guns clicking as if they're aiming at Zazu.

" _Whoa there, guys! W-What the hell do you want?_ " Zazu asked if he was freaking out with being held at gunpoint.

" _Relax, Zazu Torque! We just want to make sure you're not going to try anything stupid for once. We just want to ask if you know anything about the Magic Knights_!" Said an metallic, charismatic voice.

Upon hearing the mysterious speech, Geo immediately makes a desperate call on his communicator.

"Who are you?! You better not do anything to Zazu or I'll rip you apart like a sheet of paper!" Geo snarled, only to hear his communicator go static, unable to contact Zazu any further.

In just an instant, everyone's face fell silent and horrified. They don't know who is Zazu talking to outside of his communicator. Whatever it was, they can only pray that no harm will come to the young Autozam mechanic.

"We need to contact the Magic Knights, Clef!" Geo suggested to the Master Mage.

* * *

Meanwhile back at Area 11, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are sitting at a table outside of a nearby bakery at sunset, while drinking tea and snacking on pastries. After waiting for one hour for Zazu Torque, the Magic Knights are starting to worry for his safety. Before any of them could say anything, Hikaru was the first to start her conversation with them, after taking another sip of tea from her cup.

"I could've sworn that Zazu would meet us here to make a report on what he found through the Britannian Network," the red-haired knight said in a worried tone.

"Me neither. I mean, one of us should've at least went with him after class!" Umi said in dismay.

"I hope Mr. Zazu is doing okay? Well, he did say that he needs to carry this mission out alone so that his cover won't get blown," Fuu said as she told Umi and Hikaru.

Before Umi or Fuu could say anything else, Hikaru's medallion started glowing again. This can only mean that Clef is trying to call Hikaru. As Hikaru took out her medallion from her school pocket, Clef's image appeared in front of the three Magic Knights at an alarming rate.

"Mr. Clef, what it is?! Is it about Mr. Zazu?" Fuu asked in desperation.

"It is, Fuu!" Clef spoke in a calm tone. "Some unknown group got Zazu out of the blue, leaving behind a metallic voice."

"WHAT?!" The Magic Knights all shouted in unison.

"They also asked Zazu something about the Magic Knights! You all have to find Zazu immediately but try to be careful out there!" Clef informed the three Elevens.

After Clef makes his speech, his image disappeared in a flash, leaving the Magic Knights stunned as they looked at each other.

"Well, its a good thing Geo latched a tracking device on Zazu before we went back to Area 11 with him," Hikaru said to herself as she reached into her other pocket.

"What does that have to do with...?" Umi asked impatiently as she sees Hikaru pull out a handheld GPS with her left hand.

"Geo gave me a GPS to use incase something bad happened to Zazu," Hikaru told Umi as she activated the GPS, revealing a colorful dot blinking red, blue, and green. "Remember the time when Mokona shot out a map with his red jewel during our first adventure in Cephiro?!"

After giving it some thought, Umi and Fuu realized that Geo's GPS acts the same way Mokona's map is.

"Wow, that's really amazing for Mr. Geo!" Fuu said in amazement.

As Hikaru used her finger to move the map in the GPS, revealing a bigger view of the area surrounding her position. Eventually, Hikaru was able to find a viridian dot moving towards a nearby dock warehouse at a pier.

"Geo told me that the viridian dot indicates Zazu's presence!" Hikaru informed her fellow Magic Knights. "Since Zazu's position is at the pier, we need to be cautious. There's no telling what will await us there. The pier could be Black Knight territory!"

"You mean the Black Knights got Zazu?!" Umi asked in as she glared at the GPS.

"I think so!" Hikaru responded to Umi as she drew out her sword. "Come on girls! Let's go get Zazu back!"

After hearing Hikaru's orders, Umi and Fuu also drew out their swords before following Hikaru to the docks. Unknown to them, C.C appears from the other side of the Bakery, watching the Magic Knights as they moved on.

"So, it seems that they're the Magic Knights the whole time!" C.C muttered to herself before disappearing into the shadows while taking out her cellphone. "Zero, they're coming!"

* * *

As soon as the Magic Knights reached the pier, it was already midnight. In an instant, they donned their full set of armor before proceeding forward.

"Remember guys, we stay close together no matter what and have all eyes and ears on!" Hikaru said with a strong determination as she was the first to move on ahead.

After making their trek through the pier, Hikaru was able to hold onto her GPS as she followed Zazu's signal. Behind them, some strange movement was stalking the Magic Knights, much to Hikaru's cautious behavior. As Umi and Fuu looked on ahead, they see some strange shadowy figures running past the crates and hiding behind the other dock houses. Upon hearing the footsteps around them, Umi and Fuu could feel chills crawling up their spines.

"Ms. Hikaru, something is out there!" Fuu told the flame knight in a worried tone.

"It's not what I think it is, is it?" Umi asked Hikaru in a wary tone.

"It's the Black Knights, isn't it?!" Hikaru hissed. "Be on your guard everyone! There's no telling where are they hiding! And make no mistake, they're out there!"

As the trio slowly walked towards Zazu's signal, the Magic Knight's reached the dock house were the mechanic is last seen at. The moment, they opened up the door to the dock house, it was completely pitch black. In the middle, they see Zazu tied up to a chair, with his hand tied behind his back. When the Magic Knights entered the dock house, they held onto their swords up to their chests with their left hands and raised their right hands as they're about to charge up their magic from their gloves.

"Zazu!" Hikaru spoke out loud. "Are you alright?!"

"Hikaru! Umi! Fuu! Stay back!" Zazu told them in alarm.

Before they could do anything, the doors behind the Magic Knights suddenly closed on them and the lights turned on immediately. As they're about to get ready for battle, the Magic Knights seen militants dressed in black appear before them, pointing their assault rifles at them. At the same time, the Magic Knights raised her right hands up high and aimed their charged magic at the people in black.

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" One of the militants shouted in a exaggerated tone.

The militants popped out of their hiding spots all around inside the dock house, such as crates, unmanned Knightmare Frames, and from the loading machinery before aiming their assault rifles at the Magic Knights. Feeling surrounded, the Magic Knights hurdled their backs to each other while still holding their swords intact before several of the militants approached them from every angle with their guns drawn. Before the militants or the Magic Knights could do anything, a masked figure appeared from above and raised his hands out wide as he made his announcement to the female elevens.

"GREETINGS MAGIC KNIGHTS! WELCOME TO THE ORDER OF THE BLACK KNIGHTS OF JAPAN!" The masked figure shouted in a loud intense voice.


	6. Knightly Allegiance

Chapter 5: Knightly Allegiance

Few hours earlier...

After several hacks done on the computer to gather information about the Holy Britannian Empire, Zazu was able to download the data into his portable USB drive in a public library down at Shinjuku. As soon as he left the library, and before the young mechanic was able to meet up with Hikaru and the Magic Knights, Zazu's communicator started beeping from the pocket of his mechanic jumpsuit. As he pulled out the communicator, Geo's voice spoke out loud.

"Zazu, come in. Are you there?!"

Upon hearing the sub-commander through his communicator, Zazu responded in a clear tone.

"Yes Geo, this is Zazu reporting in sir!"

"What have you found so far?" Geo asked while speaking on his communicator.

"The Britannians are using some sort of huge gateway at their Government Bureau, which is being powered up by a huge amount of Sakuradite, stored in the power generators! Also, we have a Princess Cornelia who is in charge of Area 11, as their Viceroy and pilot of a Knightmare Frame called Gloucester. She also happens to be the Chief General of Britannia's finest warriors in her Imperial Army."

"Do you have the data for this Gloucester?" Geo asked Zazu as he continued to speak with his communicator.

"Negative, we have still yet to discover the whereabouts of Princess Cornelia." Zazu responded in a grim tone.

"What about the Magic Knights? Are they still with you?" Geo asked further.

"Hold on a sec, Geo. Someone's coming!" Zazu said as he heard footsteps coming in from behind.

As soon as he turned around, Zazu was meet by a masked figure and a green-haired girl with their guns drawn and pointing at him. "Whoa there, guys! W-What the hell do you want _?_ " Zazu asked while freaking out with his hands behind his head.

"Relax, Zazu Torque! We just want to make sure you're not going to try anything stupid for once. We just want to ask if you know anything about the Magic Knights!" Zero spoke in a metallic voice as he appeared from the group of individuals.

"W-Who are you?" Zazu asked in fear as he dropped the communicator onto the ground.

"I am Zero of the Black Knights. The man of miracles that leads the Japanese Resistance against the Holy Britannian Empire!" The masked figure said as he approached the young mechanic and away from the group. "And you are going to help us find the Magic Knights, before offering their allegiance!"

Before Zazu could see what was coming, Zero's masked opened up a little hole, revealing his exposed left eye. In an instant, Zero's eye lit up with a bird-shaped symbol, revealing the activation of his Geass, also known as the "Power of Kings." Just like that, Zero's Geass reached into Zazu's mind and as a result, Zazu's eyes started glowing with red linings shown all around his pupils. While under Zero's Geass, Zazu started blurting out everything he knows about the Magic Knights.

"The Magic Knights happened to be Hikaru Shidou, Umi Ryuuzaki, and Fuu Houoji; the Knights of Fire, Water, and Wind," Zazu explained while under the influence of Zero's Geass. "They came from Area 11, formerly known as Tokyo, Japan. Their main purpose was to fight and defend Cephiro from any impeding threats, as well as fighting for what they believe in. Since they met people in Cephiro that they cared about, the three female Elevens follow their own hearts to protect everyone that supported them."

"I knew those Japanese women are hiding something from us!" Kallen muttered to herself after she heard what Zazu said from a distance, unaware of Zero's Geass.

Before Zazu could say anymore, Geo's voice started speaking out loud, in a hostile voice.

"Who are you?! You better not do anything to Zazu or I'll rip you apart like a sheet of paper!" After the angry voice spoke out loud, Kallen went up to it and turned off Zazu's communicator.

As Kallen put Zazu's communicator into her pocket, Zero continued his interrogation with Zazu on the Magic Knights.

"Where are they now?" Zero asked Zazu, revolving around the Magic Knights' whereabouts.

"They're still waiting for me at one of their favorite bakeries!" Zazu explained.

"That's all I needed to hear." Zero said as he turned off his Geass, ending his interrogation with Zazu Torque.

As Zazu's eyes stopped glowing red, he finds himself tied up completely by Zero and his group. Feeling confused on what happened, Zazu's eyes widened with horror as he sees his briefcase get taken away by Zero himself.

"W-What just happened? WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?" Zazu shrieked in confusion.

"We want to thank you for your cooperation. Since you're being watched by your Magic Knight friends, you'll be our bait to lure them in. Nothing personal, Zazu. We just want to form an allegiance so that they can help us change the world and drive away the Britannian Empire," Zero said while smirking beneath his mask.

"Don't worry, kid!" Tamaki laughed. "We'll try to express our hospitality in the best way possible if they cooperate with us. I'm getting a really great feeling that I'm going to enjoy hanging around with those lady knights on the battlefield!"

"Why would we help you?" Zazu asked while being pulled by Kallen and Ohgi.

"Because we Black Knights also fight for people that we care about as well, Zazu!" Kallen explained as she answered the boy's question. "Now let's move it!"

After dragging Zazu to their hideout, they left him tied up to a chair in the middle of inside the dock house, unattended. As for the Black Knights, they all went hiding in the shadows while waiting for the Magic Knights to show up. At midnight, they finally got the Magic Knights in their sights.

* * *

Back to the present...

Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are still trying to keep their guard up, despite being outnumbered by the Black Knights. In a few seconds, one of the Black Knights are still ordering them to stand down from their aggressive stances.

"I SAID DROP E'M!" One of the Black Knights shouted as he aimed his rifle at Hikaru's face.

"What do you want with us?" Umi asked sternly.

"They're with me!" Kallen spoke out loud as she appeared with the dock house entrance while aiming her luger handgun at the Magic Knights.

Upon seeing Kallen dressed in a black knight uniform, the Magic Knights were all shocked to see the very same girl that was in the Ashford Academy appear before their very eyes; this time as a member of the Black Knights.

"We just want to talk!" Zero announced to the three Elevens. "There won't be any need to violence here since we're both fighting against the same enemy in both worlds."

After hearing Zero's speech, Hikaru remembered what Clef told her before heading back to Area 11 with her friends and Zazu.

 _"A mysterious girl and a masked, hooded figure will soon appear before your very eyes, along with an army of fighters and mechs, dressed in black, at their command. It won't be what you guys think, for they have their own agenda of uniting all of Japan, as well as outside of Japan."_

Upon heeding Clef's prediction, Hikaru was the first to drop her sword onto the pavement and disengage her magic coming out of her glove.

"Hikaru, what are you doing?" Umi asked the flame knight while freaking out.

"Remember what Clef told us before we came back to Area 11, Umi?!" Hikaru responded in a fearless tone. "He already sensed that we won't be fighting this battle alone. I think the Black Knights and Zero is what Clef is referring to."

"Are you sure, Ms. Hikaru?" Fuu asked in a worried tone.

"I think don't think we have any other choice. Besides, we're responsible for Zazu's safety in Area 11!" Hikaru continued. "If anything happens to him, Geo will pulverize us again!"

Upon hearing what Hikaru just said, Umi and Fuu have both disengaged from using their magic and dropped their swords to the pavement. After seeing them comply, the Black Knights stand down as they put away their weapons. Before they could say anymore, the Magic Knights and Zazu were being escorted to a nearby office only to face Zero and C.C. As they sit next to the table, the Black Knights left the room while Ohgi brought in the TV into the office. The moment Ohgi turned the TV on, it revealed the very same footage that was recorded by Kallen and C.C during the fight between the Sutherlands and the Rune Gods.

"Do you recognize with any of this?" Zero asked, referring to what was seen on TV.

"We do!" Umi answered quickly. "You sent your people to spy on us, did you?!"

"Actually, I sent Kallen and C.C for surveillance around the new world that the Britannians are in. When we saw those three robots fighting the Britannian Knightmares, most of the Black Knights find it very impressive to think that they would take them all down with one go!" Zero clarified. "When I interrogated Zazu, I never thought that you girls were actually the ones trying to defend the natives of this new world."

"Yeah well, they already knew about us for three years!" Hikaru explained to Zero. "Ever since we helped saved them from destruction, the people of Cephiro already found the courage to believe in our victories against the forces of darkness."

"If that's so, I do want to put your combat strength to the test!" Zero said offering his terms towards the Magic Knights.

"How so?" Fuu asked the masked man out of concern.

"First of all, I do want to see how these so-called robots came into your place." Zero explained to Fuu. "If so, I just want to start off with a duel with only one of you before we can offer your allegiance. In fact, I know the perfect warrior to duel with you one-on-one."

Before any of the Magic Knights could say anything, Zero turned his face towards Kallen Kozuki.

"I know I have a lot of explaining to do, Hikaru," Kallen said in a stern tone. "First of all, I'm fighting for the resistance for the sake of my dead brother and for my mother, as the Ace pilot and Captain of the Zero Squad of the Black Knights. I'm sure you have something that's worth fighting for, right?!"

After hearing what Kallen just said, the three Elevens remembered that when Britannian first took control of Area 11, all of their parents were enslaved in exchange for their lives. It was during the time that Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu first started attending their private schools that Britannia took over them all. Since half of the students studying at their schools were still able to maintain their admissions, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu happened to be part of that group. Because of this, the three Elevens were able to attend school even during Britannia's occupation over Area 11. Right now, the three girls were still able to live through the cruelty of the Britannians, as well as attending to their usual activities.

"You never told me that you were a Magic Knight, Hikaru!" Kallen said, while feeling a little disappointed for not understand their true colors, making them snap out of their past.

"Well, you never told me that you were a Black Knight, Kallen," Hikaru said, feeling a bit dismayed. "We were supposed to keep our Magic Knight identities a secret between Umi, Fuu and I."

"If that's so, then why? Why didn't you tell us?" Kallen asked, trying to get into Hikaru's little head.

"I thought no one would believe us. Second, what do you think a 14-year old girl would do during the time Britannia controlled Area 11 anyway?" Hikaru responded in a grim tone. "Before all of this, we had no power to fight and defend ourselves against the Britannians; none of us do!"

"There's always the first time for everything, Hikaru!" Kallen informed the red-haired knight. "Since you and I came a long way, how about we settle this on one match, with my Guren against your machine, then we'll see how much power you have right now."

"Be my guest, Kallen!" Hikaru replied with determination and bravery.

* * *

In an abandoned sports arena at the Shinjuku Getto, Kallen brought out her Guren Mk-II in the middle of the open area. In front of Kallen, Hikaru drew out her sword as she stood 500 feet apart from the Guren. Before anyone could see what was going on, Zero makes his announcement as he appeared from the arena's bleachers.

"This is will be a one-on-one match between Kallen and Hikaru!" Zero announced to the public. "There will be no time limit, for the match will only end with one disarmed and the other the victor."

On the bleachers, Zazu, Umi, and Fuu are sitting at the sidelines behind Hikaru. For the Black Knights, Ohgi, C.C, Tamaki, Rakshata and another guy with a recording camera are all sitting at the bleachers behind Kallen. The guy with the recording camera happens to be Diethard, a Britannian Journalist with sandy brown hair and indigo eyes. Despite him being a manager of a Britannian Controlled Media, the happens to be a Secretary of Intelligence in the Black Knights. As part of the Black Knights, Diethard was seen wearing a black suit with a red trim and dark-blue pants. During his career as a journalist, Diethard can be very zealous and displays a grand, captivating narrations when documenting Zero's actions during the rebellion.

"This is going to be the most brilliant duel between a knight that uses superpowers and a Black Knight inside a Knightmare Frame. I wonder how will this lady knight is going to topple over Kallen's Guren," Diethard spoke in an exciting tone of voice.

"Now then, don't think I'll go easy on you Hikaru!" Kallen smirked as she spoke from her Guren while pointing her Radium Claw at the flame Knight.

"Zazu, if you're watching this, I hope you'll be able to record as much detail as you can from Kallen's Knightmare!" Hikaru said as she raised her sword up high with both of her hands, pointing straight into the sky.

"RAYEARTH, LEND ME YOUR STRENGTH!"

As Hikaru called forth her Rune God at the top of her lungs, the sky above her opened up a rift. Before anyone could see what was happening, a pillar of red light appeared and shined down upon Hikaru in a harmless effect. At the same time, Rayearth appeared from the sky and crashed straight into the earth, kneeling before the Magic Knight of Fire. Upon impact, the dust spread out for a few inches before it disappeared. In just seconds later, most of the Black Knights were all awestruck from seeing how Hikaru's Rune God appear right next to her.

"Whoa! So those robots back there were actually summoned from the sky just by being called out?!" Tamaki said in a surprising tone. "THAT'S JUST AWESOME!"

"Easy there, Tamaki. This is just the start of it." Rakshata said to the excited Black Knight.

As Hikaru got pulled into Rayearth by its red light, she drew out her broadsword and powered it up with a white, flaming essence. Before Hikaru could use her sword, Kallen made her first move upon the red Rune God. As soon as the Guren closed into Rayearth, it reached its Radium Claw and unleashed its Radiation Waves. As Hikaru raised her sword up high to block Guren's Claw, she felt a radioactive burning sensation coming from her blade. But in an instant, Hikaru shoved her sword towards the Guren, shoving its Radium Claw away from her Rune God. Before the Guren had a chance to react, Hikaru charged forward with her Rune God and attempted to hack its Radium Claw with her Sword only to block it as Kallen unleashed another Radiation Wave. Hikaru grunted as she attempted to resist the radiation flying towards Rayearth. As Hikaru disengaged with her attack on Kallen's Guren, Kallen's Knightmare lashed out with a Fork Knife across Hikaru's face. At the same time, Hikaru blocked Guren's knife with her shield and made another vertical chop with her broadsword. In less than a second, Kallen steered her Guren backwards and missed Rayearth's blade by mere inches from its front Tungsten Armor. As the Guren backed away several feet from Rayearth, Kallen activated the Slash Harkens and shot them straight at where Rayearth is standing. Upon seeing the slash harkens fly towards her, Hikaru swiped the Harkens away from her with her broadsword. Just when the Guren charged forward and attempted to unleash another Radiation Wave at Rayearth, Hikaru jumped up high above the Knightmare and did an executioner's blow while in mid-air only for the Guren to block it with its Fork Knife. However, because of Hikaru's sword was powering up during the fight, Guren's knife started cracking and the next thing that Kallen saw was when the knife shattered into a million pieces. As Rayearth's sword hit the ground after breaking apart Guren's Fork Knife, the Rune God attempted to slam its shield into Guren's face only for the Knightmare to dodge it. At the same time, Kallen had her Guren grab Rayearth's shield with its Radium Claw and unleashed its Radiation Waves on it. As a result, Rayearth's shield started bubbling from the inside and exploded from within. However, Hikaru was able to let go of Rayearth's shield just in time before unleashing a huge torrent of white flames at the Guren. Just when Kallen attempted to block the oncoming white flames with Guren's Radium Claw, the impact slowly started pushing the Guren backwards into the bleachers.

"DAMNIT!" Kallen shrieked as she sees the interface of Guren from her cockpit started blaring out warnings. "I can't hold it back!"

"EVERYONE, SCATTER!" Tamaki screamed as he got on his feet before making a run for it.

Upon seeing the Guren getting closer, the Black Knights and their associates started to run for cover, along with Tamaki. As the Guren crashed into the arena's bleachers, her friends were able to get out of the way just in time before the crashing impact let out a big hole leading to the outside of the arena. Outside of the Arena, the Guren was struggling to get up after getting knocked down by Rayearth's powered attack. Unfortunaly, Hikaru summoned a lighting ball of energy coming out from both of her hands. The next thing Kallen saw was when Rayearth unleashed a tendril of red lighting at her Guren.

"RUBY LIGHTING!" Hikaru shouted at the top of her lungs.

Just as the red lighting headed straight for the Guren, Kallen activated one of her Harkens and attached it to a ledge on a floor above where Rayearth is standing at. As the Harken pulled the Guren upward, Kallen evaded Hikaru's ruby lighting but not before the Guren's right landspinner and leg were blown into pieces by the flame knight's lighting spell. At the same time, Kallen's cockpit started vibrating around her it started flashing red from receiving damage.

"AAAAUUGGHHH!" Kallen screamed as she tried to get her Guren stabilized.

While in mid-air, the Guren attempted to slam its left foot onto Rayearth in the head only for it to get blocked by both of its arms. As soon as the Guren jumped away from Rayearth and landed on its left foot, the Knightmare whacked Rayearth's sword off with its Radium Claw before it unleashed another Radiation Wave. However, Hikaru was able to have enough time to unleash a fiery spell in a split-second.

"FLAME ARROW!"

At the top of her lungs, Hikaru lit her left fist up on fire and launched an accurate fire bolt at the Guren's Radium Claw. Upon impact, Hikaru's flame arrow collided with Guren's Radiation Wave. After several seconds of struggling with Hikaru's magic, the Guren's Radium Claw started losing power and started suffering from an energy overload. All of a sudden, the Guren's Radium Claw blew up, ripping apart its arm in an instant. At the same time, Kallen screamed as her cockpit shook violently again as her Guren fell to its left side. Upon realizing that her Guren is completely disarmed, Kallen came out of her cockpit, indicating her surrender to Lady Hikaru. For Hikaru, she exited Rayearth, leaving behind a beam of red light at the place where she is standing on. As Hikaru and Kallen looked at each other, Hikaru makes her first impression after their duel.

"Damn! She just disarmed the Guren of all of its weaponry!" Diethard muttered as he summarized the duel between the Rune God and the Knightmare Frame.

"Man, that was fun!" Hikaru said to herself in an excited tone.

Behind her, Umi, Fuu, and Zazu were letting out a victory cheer over Hikaru's duel with Kallen.

"Yeah well, be grateful that you were born Japanese, Hikaru!" Kallen huffed out of embarrassment due to her defeat. "If you were a Britannian, I won't stop fighting you after being disarmed until one of us drops dead!"

"Oh really?" Hikaru snickered while still inside Rayearth. "Just be grateful that I did that only to disarm, for now!"

"And I thought facing the Lancelot is bad enough!" Kallen muttered to herself. "Well, I guess you really are worth being a Magic Knight, huh?"

"Hold on a sec, Kallen. You met the Lancelot?" Hikaru asked as her eyes widened with shock.

"He was a bit of a pain in the butt during the battle at Shinjuku Getto. But that was only when I faced him while piloting a Glassgow." Kallen explained towards Hikaru. "Now that I got my Guren right here, I'm sure that my fight with Lancelot will be different. Why?"

"Well, I actually ran into Lancelot back in Cephiro from the other day!" Hikaru said in a sheepish tone.

"WHAT?" Kallen gasped in shock. "But how?"

"It's a long story!" Hikaru added.

"Well, that was a very excruciating display of destruction and terror I had ever saw during that duel, ladies!" Rakshata spoke in a angry tone, aiming directly at Hikaru. "You've got some nerve hurting and trashing my poor little baby like that, young lady!"

"Hold on a minute there ma'am!" Umi said while trying to get in-between Rakshata and Hikaru. "You actually built that Knightmare Frame?!"

"Why of course!" Rakshata replied as she started smoking from her cob pipe. "I'm the head of the Research and Development Team for the Black Knights, I help by rebuilding and upgrading their Knightmare Frames before being deployed out on the battlefield. You can call me Rakshata."

"Please to meet you, Rakshata." Hikaru spoke as she introduced herself before introducing her friends to the Black Knights. "I'm Hikaru Shidou. And these are my friends Umi Ryuuzaki, Fuu Houoji, and Zazu Torque. We're all friends of Cephiro and Area 11."

"That's a really cute name for a Magic Knight," Tamaki chuckled as he approached Hikaru with a smile, before introducing himself and the other Black Knights. "I'm Captain Tamaki of the 2nd squad of special forces. This is Deputy Commander Kaname Ohgi, Diethard Ried the Britannian Journalist, and Zero the leader of our Black Knights."

While Tamaki introduced the Magic Knights to his fellow Black Knights, he announced their names as they appeared next to Rakshata from left to right.

"This is going to be a recorded as one of my most greatest hits in my own private media!" Diethard cackled excitedly. "I can't imagine bearing witness of one of the Magic Knight's proof of their power. So tell me girls, how long were you all doing your part in this outstanding role?!"

"Umi, Fuu, and I were all 14-years old when we first became Magic Knights to serve in Cephiro as their legendary heroes," Hikaru said as she explained to Diethard and the Black Knights.

After explaining their backstories starting from three years ago, Diethard couldn't help but wrote all of it down into his journal.

"Man, it seems that you girls have already been through a lot lately during your past adventures full of tragedy, romance, sword fights, fantasy, and honor!" Diethard said, feeling awed and inspired by Hikaru and the Magic Knights.

"I do wonder how do these huge robots of yours run on and where did you find them from?" Rakshata said, asking Hikaru and her friends. "And what are their capabilities?"

"Well, now that you mentioned it, my commander was able to uncover data about the Magic Knights' Rune Gods," Zazu explained to Rakshata as he took out his data pad from his briefcase.

As Zazu turned on his data pad, it revealed all the details revolving around the Magic Knights' machines. While Zazu explained the details to the Black Knights, they were all shocked upon learning huge differences between them and their Knightmare Frames.

"The Rune Gods aren't really made out of robotic exoskeletons. They're actually living robots that can talk, move, and act out on their own. After scanning them while on board the NSX, I detected full life signatures coming from the Rune Gods themselves."

"No way?!" Tamaki exclaimed in shock. "How's that even possible?"

"They were in a deep slumber underneath the ocean, the floating mountain, and the volcano back in Cephiro, waiting to be revived!" Hikaru told Tamaki, making him even more thrilled than ever before. "We can hear their voices inside our heads. They usually function the way we function during our battles in Cephiro."

"So then, those powers that came from those Rune Gods were..." Rakshata muttered to herself before Hikaru continued with her explanation with the Rune Gods.

"We fight as one with our Rune God on the battlefield and those powers directly from us!" Umi concluded as she finished Hikaru's sentence for her.

"That explains it!" Kallen said under a state of shock before turning her attention towards Zazu. "So Zazu, what's their roles on the battlefield?"

"From what our late commander described, Hikaru's power relies on Strength and Resistance, Umi's power relies on speed and agility, and Fuu's power relies on defense and support!" Zazu explained towards Kallen.

"Oh my! That's quite extraordinary!" Rakashata smiled with interest. "So Zazu Torque, were are you from?!"

"Me?! Well, I came from a country called Autozam. It's a land filled with machines and technology." Zazu announced to the Head Scientist and Developer. "Our military there uses weapons called Fighting Mecha when challenging our enemies outside of our country. Our land is stabilized by a electronic resource called Mental Energy!"

"It sounded like that your country is similar to that of the Britannian Empire!" Zero summarized, commenting on what Zazu said. "So tell me Zazu, how did your country yield their allegiance towards the Magic Knights and Cephrio?!"

"It's a long story, Zero!" Zazu said. "I'll explain later with Geo Metro. Oh! That reminds me..."

Before anyone could see what Zazu is doing, the young mechanic took out his communicator and reactivated it in the middle of the public.

"WHERE IS ZAZU! WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM, YOU BASTARD?!" The voice shouted in an angry, obnoxious tone.

"Relax Geo! It's me, Zazu Torque!" The mechanic said, trying to calm down the voice coming from his communicator.

"Sweet mother of Eagle, Zazu! You almost gave me a heart attack thinking that you were abducted or something!" Geo responded as he started to cease his hyperventilating from his immediate anger with Zazu's would-be kidnappers. "Can you tell me what was going on in Area 11?!"

"Me and the Magic Knights ran into a group of people that wanted to be allies with us and Cephiro!" Zazu explained to Geo on the communicator.

"Let me speak to their leader!" Geo ordered the mechanic.

Upon hearing Geo's orders loud and clear, Zazu handed his communicator to Zero. As soon as Zero took the communicator from Zazu, he held it onto his ear before introducing himself to Geo Metro.

"Greetings, I am Zero the leader of the Black Knights who challenges the forces of the Holy Britannian Empire!" The masked figure spoke in a metallic voice.

"Zero, eh?! I am Geo Metro, the sub-commander and captain of the Autozamian Battleship NSX," Geo spoke from the communicator. "May I ask what was this is all about, after you tried to apprehend Zazu Torque?!"

"My apologizes, Geo! I just wanted to meet the Magic Knights with Zazu's help." Zero said as he expressed his apologizes for his actions earlier.

"I see, well whoever you are, don't scare us like that!" Geo said in a anxious tone. "I'll be in touch with you later; I got my hands full on other stuff back in Cephiro."

As soon as the communicator turned off, Zero handed it back to Zazu before offering the Magic Knights his terms.

"So girls, are you willing to fight and sacrifice everything for the sake of all of Japan?" Zero asked the Magic Knights. "We may need your supernatural powers in order to drive the Holy Britannian Empire away from your home as well. There won't be anything that we can't do together, you and I."

"Us allying ourselves with a group of terrorists?!" Umi said while protesting against Zero's offer. "I don't know about that! It may affect our honor back in Cephiro with negative results."

"Guys, can we talk for a moment?" Hikaru said trying to have Zazu, Umi, and Fuu hurdle together before having their private conversation first before negotiating with the Black Knights. "We maybe strong in ways that mattered thanks to our Rune Gods. But unlike Autozam, we're up against a whole army of enemy robots called Knightmare Frames from Britannia. It'll be a matter of time before they'll overwhelm us with their numbers and with their firepower."

"Well, what if the Black Knights are just using us to conquer Cephiro, as well as moving Britannia out of the way? One thing is for sure, we don't negotiate with terrorists!" Umi said, protesting against what Hikaru said.

"They maybe terrorists Umi, but most of them are Japanese like we are. Since we're also knights fighting for justice and for the people we care about, we're actually no different from them, terrorist or not." Hikaru continued. "If we can protect Cephiro and its inhabitants, then we'll also be able to protect our families and siblings from the Empire as well, here in Area 11."

"I agree with Ms. Hikaru on this one. Ever since the Britannian Empire took over our country, we couldn't do anything about it because we were all just little kids when all of this happened and that we're forced to relocate to other homes, close to the Tokyo Settlement." Fuu said, strengthening her resolve to ally with the Black Knights. "It's during the time we're still attending our private schools in the former land of Tokyo."

"Also, Clef told us that we'll be running into some new allies to fight for our cause in saving both our worlds from destruction and tyranny," Hikaru added. "We might also need their help in reinforcing and enhancing the Knightmares that Cephiro's forces have secured in the Castle's Armory."

"Their use of technological weaponry is very different to that of Autozam. So, if we can have them develop weapons for the Cephirians to use when piloting the Knightmares in battle, we might be able to gain a home field advantage against Princess Cornelia's and Prince Clovis' forces and!" Zazu said to the Magic Knights.

"Mr. Zazu's got a point there!" Fuu exclaimed silently.

"Even if they did help us dealing with the Britannian Invaders, I'm not so sure about Zero's true intentions. He might be hiding something underneath that purple, black mask of his!" Umi said, still doubting the leader of the Black Knights. "I could feel something unpredictable in his mind. Whatever it is, I got a bad feeling about this."

"How about this Umi, we'll help the Black Knights liberate both Japan and Cephiro while I do my best to keep a close eye on Zero just incase he tries anything funny. We'll just play along for now." Hikaru suggested to Umi.

"Well, I hope you'll do the right thing for us, Hikaru. And this time, try not to get reckless again, okay?" Umi said, reluctantly accepting Hikaru's suggestions.

After disengaging with their private conversation, Magic Knights and Zazu turned around to face Zero again. As they approached him with full confidence, Hikaru was the first to make her decision in front of Zero.

"Okay Zero, we accept your allegiance!" Hikaru spoke loud and clear. "First, there is something that we wanted you to do for us in return!"

"And what would that be, Lady Hikaru?" Zero asked out of curiosity.

While Hikaru is discussing the terms with Zero, C.C appeared dressed in a sleeveless Black Knight uniform. After staring at the Magic Knights and Zero, C.C turns around towards the clear blue night sky as she makes her speech towards herself.

"And so it begins the knightly allegiance that will change both worlds with the actions done by the three mighty armies of The Black Knights of Japan, Cephiro's Alliance, and the Holy Britannian Empire," C.C muttered in her own monologue. "Will there being destruction or salvation in this conflicting turn of events? Only fate will be decided by the best warriors from the three factions!"


	7. Mountain Onslaught

Chapter 6: Mountain Onslaught

At the crack of dawn back in Cephiro, a messenger appears on horseback heading towards the Castle of Cephiro. As the messenger shouted at the sentry to open up the gates, he went inside the Castle walls.

In the courtyard, a line of Knightmares were stationed all around the keep. After securing and rebuilding the Knightmares that they captured, they repainted it with bright red-orange, cerulean blue, and Emerald colors as they represent their loyalties to the Magic Knights. Thanks to the aid of Autozam's engineers Cephiro's customized Knightmares were mostly armed with jousting lances, huge tower shields, built-in crossbows, and powered-enhanced swords.

After a few minutes of standing around, the messenger was approached by Master Mage Clef, Lady Aska, Geo Metro, and Tarta with a battalion of Cephiro's guards, Autozam Marines, Chizetan Warriors, and Fahrenian Ninjas assemble in front of them as they came out from the guard towers. Before the commanders of the allied countries could say anything, the messenger pulled out a scroll from his saddle bag as he announced his report directly to them with holding the scroll with both of his hands.

"We received word that an army of Japanese rebels have arrived at port!" The messenger spoke out loud. "They're being lead by a masked man called Zero, the man of miracles who challenges the Holy Britannian Empire. He's requesting a private audience with you Master Mage."

"What about the Magic Knights and Zazu?!" Clef asked, showing concern for Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, and the young mechanic. "Where are they?"

Before the messenger could answer Clef's question, Rayearth, Selece, and Windam appeared as they flew over the Castle Walls and landed behind the messenger. As for Zazu, he appeared riding on top of Rayearth's right hand. After putting Zazu down gently, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu disembarked from their Rune Gods.

"Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, how's everything back in your world?" Clef asked the three Knights.

"We met another group of people that wanted to help out too!" Hikaru told Clef as he heard rumbling coming from outside of the Castle Gates. "They called themselves the Black Knights!"

In an instant, two rows of Black Knights came marching as they entered the Castle Gate. Up front, they were lead by Zero, Ohgi, Kallen, and C.C. They stopped 50 feet away from Cephiro's unified army as they drew out their spears, swords, and SMGs before aiming them at the Black Knights. Not feeling discouraged by such a defensive gesture, Zero fearlessly approached Cephiro's soldiers unarmed. Before both armies could do anything, Zero makes his speech in front of the Cephirians and their allies.

"Greetings people and followers of Cephiro! Do not be alarmed. For I, Zero shall help liberate your beloved country the way I shall liberate Japan from the encroaching Empire!" Zero announced in a intense, metallic voice. "I've been told that you may need help in strengthening your forces with the use of Knightmare Technology, is that right?!"

"I am Master Mage Clef of Cephiro!" The Mage said as he introduced himself to Zero. "We may have been able to adapt to handling the Knightmare Frame technology, but we still need someone who can help us upgrade them. There is still some complications that even Autozam cannot deal with. But first, I do need to hone a private meeting with you and Hikaru before we can accept your allegiance in Cephiro."

* * *

As Zero was accompanied by Clef and Hikaru, the other leaders from the three countries were murmuring to themselves.

"So, that must be Zero and the Black Knights that Zazu was talking about, eh?!" Geo thought to himself.

"If you ask me, I thought they were only here just for impression and show," Lady Aska said as she snickered to herself. "Well, I can't wait to let loose a lot of fun with them along with my grand illusions! OH HO HO HO HO HO!"

"Try not to get any crazy ideas, Lady Aska," Sang Yung told his empress, trying to keep her excitement in check. "We don't know anything about the Black Knights or their leaders yet."

"Hey Umi, do you think we can trust those Black Knights to defend Cephiro?!" Tarta asked the Knight of Water.

"I'm kind of against it too because of two things: One, the Black Knights happened to be a paramilitary organization filled with terrorists and homeless Japanese people and Two, for some reason I might have a hard time trying to trust Zero, despite Hikaru's agreement to play along with their Japan Liberation in Area 11," Umi responded in a grim tone. "Well, I hope Zero and Hikaru are able to do the right thing and not to let anything hinder our campaign against Britannia."

"Say, I don't think we ever met before, ladies!" Kallen said as she noticed the princesses of Chizeta and Fahren dressed up in unique traditional fashions. "Who might you guys be?!"

"Kallen, this is Tarta and Tatra the twin Princesses of Chizeta!" Umi said as she introduced the princesses to the Black Knight Ace behind her.

"And this is Ms. Lady Aska of Fahren and her right hand advisor Sang Yung!" Fuu said introducing the Fahren nobles on her right. "I suppose you already know who the two from Autozam are."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you in Cephiro. I'm Kallen Kozuki, Captain of the Black Knights' Zero squad." Kallen said as she introduced herself to the leaders of the three countries.

"Are you an Eleven too, Kallen?" Tarta asked bluntly before she was met with a grab to the neck by Kallen's left hand.

"I'M JAPANESE, YOU ROYAL HALFWIT!" Kallen snapped as she attempted to strangle the daylights out of Tarta.

In just seconds, Tarta's guards started to dog pile over Kallen as they grabbed her and pulled her away from Tarta. As soon as Tarta took a breather and got up, with her guards helping her, Fuu stepped in to apologize to her for Kallen's sudden outburst.

"Sorry about that, Ms. Tarta!" Fuu apologized in embarrassment. "Ms. Kallen can be a bit offended when people like the Britannians look at her and address her the wrong way! So, please excuse her behavior."

"Urrgghh!" Tarta grunted as she tried to pull herself together. "Then it looks like we have a lot to learn from the Black Knights!"

* * *

Inside Hikaru's private chambers, Hikaru, Lantis, Clef, and Zero sat down at a nearby table to discuss the terms towards their allegiance. As they entered the chambers, they turned off the lights and lit a small candle to put in the middle of the table. After a few seconds of sitting down, Hikaru became the first to start their private meeting between Clef and Zero.

"So Zero, what do you know about the Holy Britannian Empire so far?" Hikaru asked the masked leader. "Who are you before then?"

"If you're not who we think you are, then what will be your reasons to lead the Black Knights into battle against the enemies of Hikaru's homeland?" Lantis asked further.

"Well folks, I'm actually Britannian too but I was exiled due to some political disputes with my family and my half-siblings." Zero said anxiously. "I used to be more than just a political hostage back then."

"You mean, you were from a noble family?" Clef asked, sensing Zero's inner thoughts.

"Ever since my mother died, I could not help but worry about what will ever become of my sister and the rest of my family in Britannia!" Zero responded in a serious tone.

"Then, you're still Lelouch vi Britannia right?!" Hikaru said as she accidentally spoke out Zero's true name, paralyzing Clef with silent shock. "You're not always Zero because I remember hearing at one time, during my detour that Zero was just a figure of hope for the Japanese. A charismatic character that wanted to find happiness as much as I wanted to find happiness, that's also what Lelouch is searching for in all of his life ever since he and Nunnally were both sent to Japan as political hostages. Now that I think about it, Zero and Lelouch are both still the same person, right?!"

Upon hearing what Hikaru said, Zero fell silent for a few minutes before taking off his mask. As he put his mask on the table, he revealed his face to be none other than Lelouch, much to Clef's shock and Hikaru's and Lantis' emotionless expression.

"So were you a Prince of Britannia back then?" Clef asked Lelouch.

"I was, Master Mage!" Lelouch responded in a sad tone. "Unfortunately, my father abandoned my mother and Nunnally. He doesn't really care about me or any of my brothers or sisters. Because of that, I did not want to rule over Britannia under such circumstances. Instead, I went to live amongst the Kururugi residence in Japan."

"I see! So you choose to lead the Black Knights because..." Hikaru said before Lelouch continued his speech.

"When I first met Kallen Kozuki fighting against the Britannians as a terrorist Eleven, I came up with a brilliant idea to make my dream come true," Lelouch smirked. "Since she proved her worth as a natural-born Knightmare pilot, I decided to use her and her friends to carry out my wish to change the world."

"Well, I'm still sensing another reason for your intentions to lead the Black Knights young man," Clef warned grimly. "You may have a power that might become your undoing if you don't handle it properly. I feel that its properties may show a series of curses that will affect not just to the Britannians but also to us as well."

"Since we have enemy activity in Cephiro, you might as well prove yourself by helping us deal with them before we can fully accept our allegiance with you and the Black Knights!" Lantis suggested towards Lelouch.

"Is that so? Well, I'll do my best not to let it get this far," Lelouch said with full confidence. "You can count on me, Sir Lantis!"

"As long as you're in Cephiro, we got our eye on you!" Clef warned as he glared at Lelouch with a stern look. "We don't like being ordered around when falling under any evil spells or under any evil curses. You better promise us not to curse us during our fight against Britannia or we'll have no choice but to disband our allegiance with the Black Knights. Is that clear?!"

"I understand, Clef. Well, I also wanted to ask how is it that Hikaru was able to use her Rune God and her supernatural powers at the age of 14?" Lelouch asked the Master Mage.

"When she was summoned along with Umi and Fuu to become Magic Knights of Cephiro, I taught her on how to use Magic. Unlike from my teachings, hers is very unique filled with powerful elemental properties." Clef explained. "As she gained her powers to don her Rune God to fight as a true Magic Knight, she also was able to uphold the strongest powers than anyone else did."

"How so?" Lelouch asked curiously.

"Ever since Princess Emeraude passed away, Cephiro was starting to crumble apart because without her the land cannot be stabilized. Only those with a strong heart have the will to control Cephiro as its leader, also known as the Pillar of Cephrio!" Clef said in a serious tone. "It turns out the Hikaru happens to be it!"

"Really?!" Lelouch said unaffected by Clef's story as he turned towards Hikaru with a small smirk on his face.

"Well, I got rid of the Pillar System for the sake of the people that I love," Hikaru said, feeling satisfied with herself.

"Even then, Hikaru still has very strong power flowing within her veins all the way until to this very moment," Clef continued before turning his attention towards Hikaru. "Hikaru, we still may need you as our governess to help lead Cephiro to victory against this new invasion. Are you up for it? Because as our Pillar, we'll still support you the way you supported us on the battlefield."

"Are you sure Clef?" Hikaru asked, feeling anxious to carry out her duties as the new Pillar of Cephiro.

"Since the Pillar System is no more, you will be able to handle this kind of duty more smoothly than ever along with Lantis," Clef said, giving Hikaru her confidence as a leader. "With that said your love over him will not affect Cephiro's stability like it did to Princess Emeraude."

"Okay then, if you insist," Hikaru said in a wary tone before turning her attention towards Lelouch. "Your secret will be safe with us, Lelouch, just as long as you don't cause any disaster along the way!"

"Then I guess we have an accord, Lady Hikaru!" Lelouch said as he smiled to himself before putting his Zero mask on. "When I first witness Hikaru fighting with Kallen, I was very astonished on how powerful one of the Lady Magic Knights really are."

"Well, they didn't call Hikaru the strongest of the Magic Knights for nothing," Clef said to Zero. "I always believed in Hikaru for a long time, anyway."

"I always believed in Hikaru, the moment I met her in person. Even though I will not see my brother again, I can't blame her for what happened to him because our land was always filled with tragedy, even before Hikaru and the Magic Knights risen from the darkness and brought forth our light!" Lantis explained.

"If that's true, then I may need her power and her aid to help obliterate Britannia, along with the Magic Knights and the rest of Cephiro's forces and their allies," Zero requested from Clef. "In return Rakshata will help your men improve their usage over their customized Knightmares."

"Sure, but what are you going to do once all of this is over?!" Clef asked out of concern.

"That may not be my place to say. Well, only time will tell," Zero replied as he was the first to leave Hikaru's private chambers.

* * *

Inside Cephiro's Armory, Rakshata and Diethard could not help but see all those Knightmares that Cephiro's army has captured from the Britannain Camps that they took over. There were various Sutherlands and Glassgows stationed next to the back walls of the Armory. They were repainted in Magic Knight colors. On their hump back cockpits, they marked it with the emblems of Selece, Windam, and Rayearth. After looking at all of this decorated Knightmares, Rakshata stumbled upon a tall Mecha that belonged to Autozam, which is stationed at the edge between the two rows of Knightmares. Before she could say anything, Geo Metro appeared behind Rakshata.

"So Rakshata, did you like what we done with those machines?" Geo asked while grinning at the Head Developer.

"Those Cephirians sure have quite an traditional, medieval taste if you ask me," Rakshata said amusingly. "So may I ask, why does the machine between the two rows of Knightmares a lot different from the rest?!"

"That would be my GTO!" Geo announced as he introduced his fighting Mecha. "Unlike the rest of the Knightmares, my mecha has a built-in shield, winged thrusters, and a right-shoulder mounted cannon used for combat. It doesn't run on land spinners or uses any slash harkens. My machine was developed for me back at Autozam."

"If I remember correctly, Lady Hikaru wanted us to provide technology to improve the Knightmares that were operated by Cephiro's forces. It that right?!" Rakshata asked the sub-commander.

"We still have yet to understand the strength of Britannia's armies and their commanding officers leading them and how to anticipate their combat tactics with what we have here," Geo added in. "If the Lancelot shows up during our counterattacks against Britannia or that they have a couple of unexpected surprises up their sleeves, we won't be able to stand a chance against them. We may have four countries fighting alongside in Cephiro right now, but I don't really know how much power does Britannia have."

"I'll see what I can do," Rakshata smiled as she smoked from her pipe before moving on ahead.

"I've been around Britannia for a long time, as a journalist. So, from what I learn over the past 7 years of domination, the Britannian Empire have 18 huge territories under their control." Diethard explained to the Autozamian Commander. "It's as if they had the entire world under their grip, despite the opposition coming from the Chinese Federation and the Japanese Liberation Front. Their army included massive legions of soldiers, marines, Knightmare pilots, and Honorary Britannians from all over the world outside of Area 11. With a fighting force that large, it may take more than just a rebellious country or a group of insurgents to oppose the Empire. Even I despised the Britannians."

"Say Diethard, where are you from?!" Geo asked curiously.

"I hate to say this, but I was from Britannia too," Diethard explained grimly, much to Geo's shock. "Well, don't get the wrong idea! I despised the Britannians as much as the Japanese do because their leaders have a bad history of pride and prejudice amongst them and the rest of the Elevens. When I first met Zero, I was so thrilled by his brilliant planning that I planned to document his greatest efforts of overthrowing the mightiest Force of all. He was a great inspiration to me!"

"It sounded like that you wanted to document our fights with Britannia as well!" Geo thought.

"You bet! After all, there is little tolerance to one country that is obsessed with greed and overwhelming stagnancy!" Diethard said with full confidence of himself.

"I'll be at the briefing room to discuss on how to deal with the Britannian Activity in Cephiro!" Geo said as he walked out of the Castle armory.

* * *

At the briefing room inside the Castle, Clef, Ferio, Lantis, Hikaru, Zero, and Kallen are standing across the table, looking at the geographical map that Geo is pulling out. After Geo told the Black Knights his surveying report over Cephiro's landscape, Zero made another brilliant idea to attack the Britannian Camps surrounding the mountain.

"So, you were saying that the Britannians made camp around Mt. Dakurd?" Zero asked, summarizing what Geo and Clef are going over.

"Yes, Zero!" Geo acknowledged in a calm voice. "Their G-1 Base is somewhere on top of the mountainside, which is being guarded by several enemy outposts surrounding the area. My men onboard the NSX are watching their activity from the sky while being cloaked."

"What about the armies of Fahren and Chizeta? What are they doing now?!" Zero asked Geo and Clef.

"We gave them orders to hold their positions 500 yards away from each camp, making sure that they do not engage until reinforcements arrive!" Geo announced to Zero. "Prince Clovis is with them, carrying out orders at Mt. Dakurd!"

"If you wish to prove yourself in battle, Zero now will be the time," Clef told the masked Black Knight leader.

"Very well, I'll also need the aid of your Magic Knights and Geo Metro as well!" Zero told Clef before he left the briefing room.

"HEY! What about us, Zero?!" Lady Aska shouted, trying to get his attention.

"How do you display your powers out on the battlefield?" Zero asked the princesses from Chizeta and Fahren.

"I have experience in casting great, powerful illusions that cause mortal damage to my enemies!" Lady Aska said in a prideful tone.

"Our guardian Djinn spirits are know to serve and protect us members of the Chizetian Royal Family!" Tarta announced towards Zero.

"You already know how my GTO functions right?!" Geo asked, reminding Zero of what he was capable of.

"Why of course, Geo!" Zero acknowledged. "Meet me at the forest south of Mt. Dakurd and we'll carry out our plan there."

As soon as Zero left the briefing room, C.C appeared on his right before going over on Zero's private meeting with Clef and Hikaru.

"So Zero, how did it go with Clef and Lady Hikaru?" C.C asked, clarifying Zero's offer towards the Master Mage and the Knight of Fire. "They don't know about your Geass did they?"

"Well, the Master Mage and Lady Umi have their eyes watching my every move." Zero replied in a cautious tone. "They might have known that my Geass can be my undoing. So, they were putting Hikaru in charge of watching over me, especially at school."

"I see. Remember our contract, Zero!" C.C informed the masked leader. "I'll do my best to make sure you'll help them live to fight another day."

* * *

Inside the G-1 Base on top of the mountainside of Dakurd, Prince Clovis sits in his throne as he observed the scene outside of his mobile fortress. In front of Clovis, he sees his engineers working on various computers while displaying the screens showing the three ships floating near the Castle of Cephiro. Shortly, after the two strange ships arrive in Cephiro's airspace, Clovis and Viletta fell back to their makeshift hideout in Mt. Dakurd. After Clovis went back inside his G-1 Base, he gave the order to send in some scouts to report who were the strange ships that entered Cephiro unchallenged by its inhabitants. In just several hours later, one of Clovis' spies entered the bridge to report to the Prince of his findings.

"Your highness! We discovered that the ships orbiting around the Castle of Cephiro are actually allies of this country!" The scout said announcing his report to Clovis.

"I never saw them before when I had that meeting with the leaders of Cephiro," Cloivs muttered. "Why would they be allies of Cephiro anyway?"

"They said that when they first entered Cephiro's airspace, they were challenged by the Magic Knights themselves three years ago," The scout informed. "Eventually, they yielded to the Magic Knights and all of Cephiro, bringing forth a new era of peace to all four countries at once."

"And just who are they from exactly?" Clovis asked, trying to get to the bottom of this unexpected event.

"They were described as the Battleship NSX from Autozam, the Dragon Dome of Fahren, and the Bravada of Chizeta!" The scout continued. "All the leaders of the three countries are now supporting Cephiro as part of its allegiance as we speak!"

"I guess that explains why those strange warriors and soldiers wouldn't stop ambushing my Britannian Marines in the forests surrounding our camps near Mt. Dakurd." Clovis thought to himself, referring to armies of the three neighboring countries around Cephiro. "We still have to wait until reinforcements from Cornelia arrive. Don't forget that our G-1 Base has a portable Sakuradite Gateway attached to its rear and that we have a mobile teleportation platform that we have inside our hangar."

"Is it just incase we need to fall back to Area 11?" One of the engineers asked out of concern.

"Why yes indeed! I'll do anything in my power to preserve all of Britannia's pride to the fullest," Prince Clovis announced to his subjects. "If we can't win, we'll fall back and live to fight another day! After all, whether we're up against an enemy alliance or another rebellion we will prevail, for the glory of the Holy Britannian Empire! Is Jeremiah on the frontline?"

"Yes your highness!" The Britannian general replied. "I'll get him on screen!"

As the screen pulled up, Jeremiah Gottwald was seen inside a Sutherland Knightmare. Upon seeing Prince Clovis from his screen inside his cockpit, Jeremiah could not help but wonder what does Prince Clovis want at the moment.

"Greeting your majesty!" Jeremiah said announcing his presence to the 3rd Britannian Prince. "What are your orders?"

"First of all, where are you right now?!" Clovis asked the Elite Knightmare pilot.

"I'm at base camp 01A! Directly South of the G-1 Base! Why?" Jeremiah responded before asking the Price on what is going on.

"I received intel that new enemy reinforcements arrived to secure the garrisons around the Castle of Cephiro!" Clovis said as he informed Jeremiah. "Be on your guard! They're from the countries of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren. They're all allies of Cephiro!"

"Oh great! I didn't think they have their own little empire in this New World!" Jeremiah complained to himself. "But no matter, they do realize that they can't hope to defeat all of Britannia. They're still outnumbered from 3 to 18! We'll show them that Britannia is no push over!"

"Are you still hanging in there, Jeremiah?!" Viletta asked while inside her Sutherland.

"Yes I am, Viletta!" Jeremiah said as he snapped out of his thoughts.

"If those Magic Knights show up again, I'd like to see them try to dodge our chaos mines!" Viletta smirked as her Sutherland took out a chaos mine from its hip with its right hand.

* * *

Outside of G-1, there a special research division transport is seen at another base camp near Mt. Dakurd. It is where the Lancelot is being kept at for the time being. Around the transport, 6 Sutherlands, 8 battle tanks, and several squads of Britannian Marines are stationed around the base camp while being guard for any suspicious activity. Inside the transport, Lloyd and Cecil were prepping the Lancelot for the next battle that is yet to come. As for Suzaku, he's inside the cockpit checking all of its stats as he is standing by and awaiting for further orders.

Lloyd Asplund was seen wearing a green turtleneck shirt covered up by a white lab coat and black pants and shoes. He had lavender hair and grey, blue eyes with big glasses covering up his face. He happens to be described as an Earl for the Britannian Nobles in the Empire. It was he who gave Suzaku the Lancelot to help him deal with the terrorists in the Shinjuku Getto. For the first time using the Lancelot on the battlefield, Suzaku was able to eliminate all the terrorists with one go, even though the last one was able to escape and distracted it when Suzaku used the Knightmare to save a mother and child from falling to their deaths. Ever since on that day, Lloyd did his best to make sure all systems for the Lancelot are up and ready just incase Suzaku is goes into battle with the terrorits. As of right now, when Lloyd discovered that Suzaku has a met a unexpected challenge with a mysterious Knightmare belonging to one of the Magic Knights, the Earl could not help but feel a little shaken that the Honorary Britannian almost met his match.

Cecil Croomy happens to be Lloyd's assistant and conscience. She was seen wearing an orange Britannian Military Officer's uniform with black trimmings. Cecil also happens to have a indigo hair color and blue eyes. As Lloyd's conscience, she usually scolds and punishes Lloyd for his rude behavior.

As Suzaku was checking over the stats of his Lancelot, he could not help but wonder what has ever become from his first fight with one of the Magic Knight's Rune Gods while piloting his Knightmare. In his memories, Suzaku was questioning to himself on the voice that he heard from that Red Rune God back there. It sounded so familiar, that Suzaku is thinking that it may be from someone he knows back at the Ashford Academy. But who was it that he was fighting against earlier?

"That voice that came from that Red Rune God, it sounded like the voice of a young woman!" Suzaku muttered to himself as he leaned onto the control panel with his right elbow and hold his face with his right hand. "Why do I get the feeling that it was from someone I know for a long time?"

"Hey Suzaku, are you feeling okay in there?!" Cecil asked the Honorary Britannian out of concern while going over the Lancelot's stats from her control panel.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Suzaku said, nervously. "I still can't stop thinking about my previous fight in Cephiro."

"Is it about that Rune God that was shooting out flames and lighting bolts at you?!" Cecil asked the warrant officer, referring to Rayearth.

"I wish I could know more about that Rune God back there," Suzaku pondered to himself.

"Do you think it might be a rival that you met in the past?" Cecil asked out of curiosity.

"I used to have a friend and rival that was sparring with me when we were little. Her name was Hikaru Shidou and she's a former Japanese citizen that lives in the Tokyo Settlement," Suzaku said as he remembered his past memories with the red-haired girl.

"Maybe you should talk to her a little more, once you head back to the Ashford Academy," Cecil said, making a suggestion for Suzaku. "It's possible that Hikaru might knows something about the Magic Knights intercepting Clovis' soldiers from the other day."

Before Suzaku could say anymore, the Royal channel started to turn on.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi! This is Prince Clovis!" The 3rd heir of Britannia announced. "You are to patrol around our camps. If any of Cephiro's forces or their followers press their attack upon us, you will be our go-to guy! If we lose more than three of our camps, you are to have my men fall back to G-1 Base while we prepare to teleport back to Area 11. Is that understood?!"

"Yes, your highness!" Suzaku said acknowledging his orders to the 3rd Britannian Prince.

Upon hearing what Prince Clovis said, Cecil and Lloyd opened up the hatch behind the transport. As soon as they see the landscape surrounding their position, Suzaku departured with his Lancelot and headed out to patrol around their outpost in Mt. Dakurd.

"I hope I can get an answer on whose commandeering those Rune Gods!" Suzaku thought to himself as he steered his Lancelot to his right as it disappeared into the forest.

* * *

From a distance away from Mt. Dakurd, the Dome of Fahren appeared with a giant balloon kid with a idiotic smile on his face marching from underneath it. He was wearing the same clothes that Sang Yung was wearing while serving Lady Aska. It turns out to be none other that one of the grand illusions that Lady Aska casted from the Secret Spell of the Dragon Art Reincarnation, calling it Giant Sang Yung!

"Just you wait, Britannian filth. I, Aska of Fahren, shall commence my first move on Mt. Dakurd!" Lady Aska cackled as she held her chinese fan up to her face.

On Aska's right inside the throne of the Dome of Fahren, there is an elder name Chang Ang! He happens to be Aska's wisest elder who is addressed as Fahren's cabinet member that informs the princess with sagely advice during their invasion of Cephiro. Even though Aska gets on Chang's nerves for more than once, she finally did the right thing to reject becoming the pillar of Cephiro three years ago. Now that Fahren is an allied country of Cephiro and the Black Knights, Aska and Chang became the first to make their more against the Britannians hold up in Mt. Dakurd.

"GIANT SANG YUNG!" Lady Aska shouted at the top of lungs with her commanding voice. "Make that Mountain crumble underneath that mobile fortress!"

Upon hearing Aska's orders, the giant illusion appeared popped out of the forest, with its face above the trees, and aimed his huge blue lighting breath at the bottom of the mountain. As it struck the mountain from underneath, the mountain started collapsing into a huge avalanche, taking the G-1 Base down with it. For the Knightmares guarding the fortress, they were mostly swept away by the falling land mass as their pilots started screaming before they were buried underneath the rabble. From inside the bridge of the G-1 Base, red alarms started beeping violently as the floor shook, much to the horror of Prince Clovis and his engineers. As the area around them started vibrating, everyone was struggling to hang on to something.

"W-WHAT THE HELL IS GOING?" Prince Clovis said while freaking out as he struggled to hang on to his throne.

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" The General said, shouting back at the prince with an answer. "Something is making the ground underneath our fortress slide off the mountain. WE'RE ON TOP OF AN AVALANCHE!"

"PRINCE CLOVIS!" One of the Engineers shouted after seeing their base moving straight into something unexpected. "Our mobile fortress is heading straight into Base Camp 02A! WE'RE GOING TO CRASH STRAIGHT INTO THEM!"

"Don't just stand there you fools! Contact the men at Base Camp 02A and have them evacuate the area immediately!" Prince Clovis ordered franatically.

"TOO LATE!" Another engineer screamed.

As Prince Clovis looked up to see the one of the monitors outside of the G-1 Base, it caught a glimpse of a radar tower at Base Camp 02A before it toppled over due to the mass of the mobile fortress itself. Before they knew it, the radar tower fell right on top of bridge in an instant. Upon impact, Prince Clovis got out of his seat and jump to his side as the wreckage missed him by an inch of his foot before he fell onto his back. As soon as he got up, Clovis saw most of his crewmen dead, except for his general that was trying to get him back on his feet.

"We have to get out of this place now!" The general told Clovis. "This fortress is done for; we need to request immediate backup and a pick up by one of our dropships!"

* * *

Upon seeing the G-1 Base crash into one of Britannia's Base Camps on screen inside the Dome of Fahren, Lady Aska can't help but smile as she makes the most wicked laugh while remembering part of the plan that Zero is carrying out.

"OH HOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHOHO! Good work, Giant Sang Yung!" Aska laughed at the top of her lungs. "Now it will be the time for the rest of our forces to move in. Hey, Fuu!"

"Yes, Ms. Aska?" The Knight of Wind spoke as she appeared on Aska's left.

"Are you ready to give them hell for your homeland?!" Aska asked, excitedly.

"Absolutely!" Fuu replied in a courageous tone.

"Go get e'm, Fuu!" Aska said, showing the Knight of Wind some encouragement before the Wind Knight disappeared through the doorways behind her.

 _"Lady Aska! You are to help create an avalanche to make the ground underneath their G-1 Base collapse. It will make the fortress crash into one of their base camps unwillingly, causing chaos and confusion amongst the forces residing their." Zero said, while giving out orders to the Princess of Fahren. "When that's done, have Lady Fuu send in an attack force to wipe out any remaining stragglers nearby the G-1 Base and the camp that was decimated by the avalanche."_

Outside of the Dome of Fahren, Windam appeared with a squad of Cephirian customized Knightmares moving in, below the Rune God of Wind. As Fuu looked up to see the collapsed wreckage of the G-1 Base and the wrecked radar tower, she sees a huge regiment of Britannian Sutherlands open fire immediately while defending what's left of their camp.

"EMERALD TYPHOON!" Fuu shouted as she casted a gust of wind with both of her hands.

As Fuu's spell struck several Britannian Knightmares, they were pushed into the wreckage behind them and collapsed on top of each other before they blew up. When one enemy Sutherland tried to open fire at Windam, the green Rune God drew out its sword and chopped the Knightmare in two before it disappeared into a two-sided explosion.

* * *

"What's happening out there?!" Suzaku gasped as he saw enemy movement on his radar map inside the cockpit of the Lancelot.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi, the enemy forces started attacking!" A voice spoke from one of Suzaku's channels. "We need backup fast at Base Camp 02-AUUUUUGGGGGHHHHH!"

Before Suzaku could hear what was going on, the channel ended with a loud static. However, Suzaku was able to understand the order that was given to him by one of the Britannian Military Officers residing at Base Camp 02A as he steered his Lancelot to their destination.

* * *

As the fight pressed on at Base Camp 02A, Fuu slammed the edge of her sword's grip into the face of an enemy Sutherland. Upon impact, the Sutherland fell onto its stomach after it collapsed. Behind Fuu, the Cephirian Knightmares followed her from behind as they fired their huge built-in crossbows at the Britannian Sutherlands. Every the Cephirans fired their crossbows, they let loose a huge ballista-like missile at the Britannian Sutherlands that explodes upon impact, followed by a jet of fire from the back of each missile. Those that weren't struck by Cephiro's Knightmares' Crossbows were met by thrusts from their huge lances. As Fuu summoned her huge bow and arrow from her magic glove, she aimed it at the cannon underneath the G-1's bridge. With just one "twang" from her blow, Fuu unleashed a huge arrow enchanted by a magical gale force. Upon impact, the G-1's cannon blew up in an instant. As Fuu pressed on, she gave the order to her attack force.

"Cephirian Forces surround their fallen fortress and neutralize any targets around it. Capture Prince Clovis!" Fuu shouted as she raised her sword and pointed it at the G-1 Base.

"YES MY LADY!" The Cephirian soldiers acknowledged while driving their Knightmares forward.

Behind Windam, there is a Knightmare appeared in white, green, and tan colors. It happens to be a Burai Kai moving in a zigzag next to the green Rune God. As the screen turns on, the pilot inside the Burai Kai happens to be none other than Prince Ferio. When Ferio's customized Knightmare approached Fuu in a screeching halt, he drew out a Revolving Blade Sword with his right hand.

"Ferio, how does it feel driving this Knightmare Frame?" Fuu asked her boyfriend.

"It's a little shaky, Fuu!" Ferio said in a serious tone. "But no matter, I'm still able to have it adapt to my combat abilities as a swordsman in Cephiro. Now then, shall we give them a taste of their medicine my dear?"

"Why certainly!" Fuu replied in a positive tone.

As Windam and Ferio's Burai Kai navigated through the battlefield, Ferio's Knightmare butchered up every enemy Sutherland with his Blade Sword, decapitating their arms and limbs before stabbing them in their torsos. For Fuu, she flew up into the air and launched several more spells at the enemy battle tanks and Sutherlands before spotting Clovis and his general making a run for it up the mountain slopes behind the wrecked G-1 Base.

* * *

In the forest, Umi, Ascot, and the Djinns of Chizeta launched their raids upon the other Britannian Encampments at the west of the G-1 Base. Upon seeing them, the Britannian soldiers were caught off guard when Ascot's beasts started charging through their outposts, destroying their vehicles and sending the Knightmares flying. Griffore and Insectoid punched through most of the enemy Knightmares with their fists, sending most of their pilots bailing out as they ejected their cockpits.

"Griffore, secured an entry way for Umi and the rest of her assault team!" Ascot ordered as he rode on his flying beast above the forest.

"I hate demons!" One of the Britannian Knightmare pilots snarled as he attempted to shoot down Ascot and his flying pet from the sky.

As Ascot charged up the orb from his glove, he gave his flying beast the order to fired a plasma beam at a score of Knightmares. Upon impact, the Knightmares blew up from within, giving Umi and Selece the opportunity to advance.

 _"Umi, after Fuu's team take down the defenses around that G-1 base, you move your team in and attack the base camps west of that mobile fortress!" Zero said as he instructed the Knight of Water. "Just buy Fuu and her team enough time by intercepting Britannia's forces there."_

Just when Ascot's beast closed into the Sutherlands defending their western camps, the twin djinns jumped off from its back and made a duo kick onto a nearby enemy Knightmare Frame. Upon impact, the enemy Sutherland fell on its back. As for the Chizetian Djinn, they landed on both of their feet and summoned their arabic swords to do battle with the other Britannian Knightmares. Despite getting shot at by the Sutherlands' barrage of assault rifle fire, the Djinns were dancing around in graceful patterns, dodging every single bullet before cutting their guns in two and dissecting them as their upper torsos separate from their leggings.

For Umi, she was met by Viletta's and Jeremiah's Sutherlands as they both started hurling chaos mines at her. As the Chaos Mines were hurled in mid-air, they started shooting out sprays of deadly shrapnel at the Knight of Water. However, Umi jumped away from the shrapnel to perform one of her feats of magic at Jeremiah's Knightmare.

"WATER DRAGON!"

As Umi casted her spell, she raised her left hand up into the air as a serpentine water spell shot out at Jeremiah. Upon seeing it heading in his way, Jeremiah skidded to his right, evading Umi's Water Dragon by a few feet away from him.

"Is that the best you got, Magic Knight?!" Jeremiah roared. "I'll smash your machine to the ground. ALL HAIL BRITANNIA!"

After shouting at the top of his lungs, Jeremiah started to activate his Sutherland's stun tonfas from both of its elbows before charging at Umi's Rune God with all of his might. As soon as he closed into Umi's position, Jeremiah started lashing out at the Knight of Water with every jab coming from his tonfa. At the same time, Umi made several fast blocks against the Sutherland's tonfas thanks to her fencing skills. When Umi made an immediate chop with her rapier at Jeremiah's Sutherland, blocking it with both of his tonfas, she lifted them up in the air with her sword and did an uppercut punch to the Knightmare's face, sending him flying a few meters above ground.

"UGH!" Jeremiah grunted as he struggled to keep his Knightmare balance. "Man, that thing is fast!"

"Hang on, Lord Jeremiah! I'm coming!" Viletta shouted as she drove her Sutherland to engage the blue Rune God.

Unfortunately, by the time Viletta's Knightmare got closer to Selece, she was met with a huge, green triceratops-like beast ramming her in her left side, almost knocking her to the right. Luckily, Viletta was able to use her Slash Harkens on a nearby tree to pull her Knightmare back up on its legs. The moment she turned around, Viletta spotted Ascot riding on top of the triceratops beast.

"Nice try, Baroness!" Ascot sneered at Viletta's Knightmare as he drew out a lighting halberd from his side. "You'll have to deal with me first!"

"What the hell are you?" Viletta asked, feeling offender that a person is challenging a Knightmare Frame with a monstrous creature.

"I am the head summoner of Cephiro!" Ascot announced as he pointed his halberd at the Viletta's Sutherland. "And these creatures you see before you are all under my command!"

"There's still may strange things in Cephiro unknown to me!" Viletta shrieked to herself as she aimed her gun at Ascot's beast.

"Come baroness, let's dance!" Ascot hissed as he aimed his lighting halberd at Viletta.

* * *

As Clovis was being escorted by a group of Sutherlands and Marines, Windam landed right in front of them and casted another "Wings of Admonishment" on the bunch.

"What the hell is wrong with you people?" Clovis said, freaking out after seeing his men get lifted up in the air and bounded by Fuu's spell.

"Sorry I have to do this, Prince Clovis!" Fuu apologized erroneously. "But you have to come with us and...EEEEKKKKKKK!"

In the middle of Fuu's sentence, she was met with a strong kick in the back of her rune god by Lancelot!

"Hang on, Prince Clovis!" Suzaku shouted as he jumped away from Windam and landed on the Lancelot's two feet.

As for Fuu, her Rune God fell on its stomach before lifting itself up with two of his hands. Just when Fuu got up, she sees her binding spell wear off as the enemy Sutherlands and Marines were struggling to get up after they collapsed on the ground.

"It's about time you showed up!" Prince Clovis said in annoyance towards Suzaku and the Lancelot before making a run for it along with his remaining forces. "Destroy that Knight at once!"

"Yes, your highness!" Suzaku acknowledged as he fired the Lancelot's VARIS rifle at Windam.

As the rail beam shot out at Windam, Fuu responded by casting another spell from her magic orb.

"WINGS OF PROTECTION!"

At the top of her lungs, Fuu unleashed a huge green barrier to block the incoming beam that was being fired by the VARIS. After the beam wore off, leaving Windam undamaged, the Wind Rune God lifted its wings up and hoisted itself up into the air, dodging the Lancelot's dual Maser Swords at once. In mid-air, Fuu drew out her two-handed sword and struck at the Lancelot from above only for the white Knightmare to block it with both of his swords. As the Lancelot shoved his blades at Windam, the Rune God jumped backwards and aimed its left hand at the Knightmare's face, with its right hand holding the grip of Fuu's sword.

"EMERALD TYPHOON!"

As Suzaku sees Windam's spell heading directly towards him, he activated the Lancelot's Energy Shield and used it to block the magical gust, exploding upon impact, damaging nothing. The Lancelot charged forward and rammed Windam with its energy shield in a very fast pace. As Fuu felt the impact of the energy shield hitting her in the stomach, she grunted in pain and staggered backwards while trying to hold her ground against the white Knightmare. Unfortunately, before Fuu could recover, she was met by a kick to the stomach by the Lancelot.

"UUUGGGGHHHHH! NOOOOOOOO!" Fuu screamed as she fell on her back while inside Windam.

"FUU!" Ferio shrieked as he drove his Burai Kai into the fray. "Hang on, I'm coming!"

As Ferio approached the Lancelot, he unleashed a flurry of sword strikes at the white Knightmare Frame in in anger.

Upon seeing Ferio's Burai Kai go all out on him, Suzaku steered his Lancelot backwards to avoid Ferio's attacks. As soon as the Lancelot was away from Ferio's Knightmare, Suzaku activated the Lancelot's four slash harkens and shot them straight at the Burai Kai. In less than 2 seconds, the Burai Kai whacked all four Harkens away from him while protecting Windam while trying to get up again.

"Fuu, are you okay?!" The Cephirian Prince asked out of concern for his girlfriend.

Before Fuu had a chance to respond, the Lancelot closed onto Ferio's Knightmare and struck with one of its Maser Swords. At the same time, Ferio's Burai blocked Lancelot's attack with his Revolving Blade being held close to its face.

* * *

On the east side of Mt. Dakurd, after the landslide occurred thanks to Giant Sang Yung's attack, Hikaru's team moved in along with Kallen and her Black Knight Squad. As Hikaru's Rune God moved forward, she was accompanied by a team of Cephirian customized Knightmares all armed to the teeth. Above Hikaru, Geo's GTO flew through the sky as it started firing its main cannon at several enemy Sutherlands at the enemy camps in the East. For Hikaru, she rammed one Sutherland with her broadsword, penetrating its torso with the blade coming out from its back. As the Sutherland collapsed on its knees, Hikaru kicked it in the stomach, sending her defeated enemy plummeting to the ground. After taking the enemy Knightmare down, Hikaru flew forward and unleashed several Flame Arrows at 5 more enemy Sutherlands.

 _"Hikaru, you attack the eastern camps at Mt. Dakurd first. Have Geo reign down fire from above and accompany Kallen while neutralizing all threats there." Zero instructed._

"Kallen, are you ready to show those Britannians what you're made of?" Hikaru smirked, seeing the Guren appear on her right.

"You bet, Hikaru!" Kallen grinned. "Let's go kick some butt!"

As Kallen made her first move, the Guren grabbed a nearby enemy Sutherland and unleashed her Radium Claw, making it bubble from the inside and explode in just a few seconds.

 _"Lantis! Lafarga! You'll help the Black Knights strike from the forests at the Britannian Tanks and the Marines in the eastern camps near Mt. Dakurd." Zero announced as he issued orders to both Cephirian Officers and the Black Knights._

"Captain Lafarga, let's go!" Lantis ordered the guard Captain as he rode on his black horse. "LIGHTING BALL, COME FORTH!"

As Lantis casted one of his spells at a nearby Battle Tank, it blew up the main gun turret with one go, setting it on fire. When the magic swordsman charged into the Britannian Marines, they had little time to react when Lantis swung his magic sword vertically as it hit the ground, unleashing a torrent of magic waves at them. As a result, the ground split open and the Marines fell into the chasm as they screamed in terror before plummeting to their deaths.

For Lafarga, he brought out his customized Knightmare into the battlefield. It happens to be a hijacked Gloucester painted in teal colors, armed with a Maser Vibration Sword and a pair of Stattel Waffen Missile Launchers. During the raid on one of the enemy outposts north of Cephiro's Castle before the Magic Knights returned with the Black Knights, Lafarga was able to launch a full-frontal assault with a battalion of 40 Autozam Anti-Tank Marines and Cephirian Calvary. After they secured the outpost, Lafarga and his men are able to uncover 10 Gloucesters from a Britannian Carrier. As of now, Lafarga's Gloucester unleashed a salvo of Stattel Waffen Missiles at several enemy Sutherlands, blowing up 5 of them before drawing out its Maser Sword and slashed at one, chopping the 6th Sutherland in two.

When the GTO appeared above Rayearth and the Guren, it hurled a chaos mine at several enemies if front of both of the machines. For Rayearth and the Guren, the red Rune God made a clean chop with Hikaru's Broadsword before it exploded in the dirt. Kallen steered her Guren to Rayearth's left and fired her two Slash Harkens at the two enemy gunships floating 50 feet above her. As a Sutherland started firing its Assault Rifle at Rayearth, Hikaru reacted by unleashing another Flame Arrow at the enemy Knightmare. As soon as Hikaru's spell made a direct hit on the Sutherland, it's face blew up in smithereens and fell to its right.

"Hikaru, Ferio and Fuu are engaging the Lancelot at Base Camp 02A! Go provide backup there!" Zero ordered while inside his Burai. "Kallen, go with Geo to help eliminate the threats near his position!"

"Understood!" Hikaru responded as she flew up to the sky before heading towards where Fuu and Ferio are.

"Roger that!" Kallen said, acknowledging Zero's orders as she followed the GTO on its left.

* * *

During the fight between Ferio's Burai Kai and Suzaku's Lancelot, the white Knightmare dodged Ferio's horizontal slash with the Burai's Revolving Blade and did a simultaneous double kick with its legs at the Burai's torso. Upon feeling the brunt of Lancelot's kicks, Ferio's Burai fell on its back, nearly crushing Windam from behind. Luckily, Fuu had enough time to roll over on her right, missing Ferio's Burai by a foot. As the Lancelot turned to face Windam, the green Rune God casted another spell at the white Knightmare.

"EMERALD CYCLONE!" Fuu shouted as she raised both her hands and aimed them at the Lancelot.

In an instant, Fuu unleashed a swarm of green crescent-like blades at the Lancelot.

Suzaku activated the Lancelot's landspinners and steered the Knightmare left and right to dodge Fuu's spell with a fast pace. Before Fuu had a chance to draw out her sword again, she was met with a bash to the face by the Lancelot's energy shield, much to her shock. Just like that, Fuu's mouth started bleeding as she fell on her back, unconscious.

Feeling victorious for one minute, the Lancelot was about to move on and help provide an escort for Prince Clovis. Unfortunately, Rayearth appeared in a flash teleportation right in front of the Lancelot, with its sword and shield drawn.

"Not that red Rune God again!" Suzaku muttered in annoyance as he had the Lancelot draw out its dual Maser Swords.

Upon seeing an unconscious Fuu and Ferio lying on the ground behind the Lancelot, Hikaru's anger started boiling from inside, thinking that she was too late to back them up. Feeling vengeful, Hikaru's sword powered up in a swirl of flames surrounding her blade before charging forwards at the Lancelot.

"How dare you hurt my friends!" Hikaru snarled as she swung her sword at the Lancelot.

Just like last time, Hikaru's sword unleashed a torrent of white flames at the white Knightmare only for it steer to its right, evading the attack. In retaliation, the Lancelot charged and immediately attacked the Rayearth with both of its Maser Swords, swinging them in a series of rapid strikes. Reacting quickly, Hikaru held her guard as she counteract every move from the Lancelot's swords with both her sword and shield. After making 7 more strikes on Rayearth, Lancelot slammed his Maser sword on the Rune God's shield and struggled to break down its guard. Before the Lancelot could attack anymore, Hikaru raised her hand up high and casted another spell from above.

"RED THUNDER!"

As Hikaru shouted at the top of her lungs and almost out of breath, red streaks of lighting came down from the sky and attempted to hit the Lancelot. However, Suzaku was able to steer back and forth to avoid the barrage of lightings bearing down on his position. After the lighting stopped, the Lancelot drew out its VARIS Rifle and made a Burst Fire at Rayearth. Upon seeing the green spherical beams close in on her, Hikaru clenched her fist as it gets engulfed in flames.

"FLAME ARROW! YAAAAAHHHHHH!"

As Hikaru unleashed her fire spell, it struck at the spherical beams, causing them to explode between both the Rune God and the Lancelot. In an instant, the two machines were sent flying backwards from the impeding explosion. Rayearth slammed its back into a tree while the Lancelot crashed into the wrecked G-1 Base. As soon as the white Knightmare attempted to get up, Suzaku noticed that the Lancelot is out of energy from the Yggdrasil Drive, rendering it to shut down. Upon seeing this, Rayearth got back on his feet and approached the Lancelot, drawing out its broadsword. However, before Hikaru could finish off the Lancelot, she was met with a barrage of Assault Rifle fire coming down from the Avalon.

"URRRGGHHH! What is this?!" Hikaru growled as she raised her shield up high to block enemy fire from above.

As the Avalon approached above the Lancelot, it hovered as several more Sutherlands and a squad of 5 Gloucesters landed in front of Rayearth. One of the Gloucesters had a regal cape on its "humpback" cockpit while carrying a Jousting Lance and an Assault Rifle. It belonged to Princess Cornelia, the Viceroy of Area 11.

"Soldiers, form a defensive line formation around the fallen G-1 base! We are to help evacuate all survivors and Prince Clovis off this battlefield!" Cornelia's voice spoke out from her Gloucester.

"YES, YOUR HIGHNESS!" The Sutherland and Gloucestor pilots replied, acknowledging Cornelia's orders.

As they moved out, the Britannian Knightmares opened fire at Rayearth, pinning Hikaru behind the trees inside the forest.

"Dammit! I bet its one of those Britannian Commanders leading this invasion!" Hikaru muttered to herself while hiding behind cover.

"Princess Cornelia, it's about time you came for me. My dear sister!" Prince Clovis said, feeling relieved as he approached Cornelia's Knightmare behind the formation.

"Sorry we're late, brother!" Cornelia apologized. "We'll resume our Campaign in Cephiro later. Now get on board the Avalon. Schneizel and I will help cover your retreat!"

"Thank you, sister!" Clovis replied as he went onboard the Avalon. "This is Prince Clovis. All soldiers under my wing, retreat to the Avalon!"

For the Lancelot, Suzaku steered it towards the lifting platform underneath the Avalon as he went onboard during the confusion.

* * *

During the fight between Viletta, Jeremiah, Umi, and Ascot, they saw the Avalon appear above the sky. Upon hearing Clovis' orders from their private channel, Jeremiah and Viletta both disengage their fight with the Knight of Water and the Head Summoner.

"Let's get out of here, Viletta!" Jeremiah said, ordering the baroness as he drove his Sutherland towards the Avalon's lifting platform.

As Viletta and Jeremiah escaped from the battlefield, Umi and Ascot see them disappear into their battleship, along with the Lancelot and the other surviving Britannian forces.

"Princess, everyone is onboard the Avalon now!" One of Cornelia's knights spoke through his channel.

"Good then. Everyone, retreat to north and teleport back to Area 11!" Cornelia ordered as she rallied her forces fled away from the battlefield. "I'll deal with you later, Magic Knight of Fire!"

While Hikaru saw Cornelia's Knightmare disappear along with the rest of her forces, she could not believe that another of the Britannia's Royal Family members would show up and help Prince Clovis escape capture.

"Princess Cornelia!" Hikaru thought to herself. "I hope we can find a way to go after them and bring them all to justice someday."

After seeing the Britannian forces escape through the rift and back to Area 11, Cephiro's forces and the Black Knights were able to regroup and recover. However, since Fuu and Ferio are still out cold, an Autozam shuttle appeared, escorted by the GTO. As soon as it landed, Geo's medical team brought the two injured warriors onboard before heading back to the Castle. For Geo, he landed his GTO next to Hikaru's Rune God, showing a bit of concern to the Knight of Fire.

"Hikaru, are you feeling okay?!" Geo asked through the communication channel.

"Uh, yeah! I'm fine." Hikaru said in a silent tone. "Let's secure the area, scavenge whatever weapons and Knightmare Frames we can find inside the G-1 Base, and head back to the Castle!"

"Yes, my lady!" The Cephirian soldiers responded through their customized Knightmares.

* * *

Inside the Avalon, Cornelia was the first to disembark from her Gloucester. She reveals herself to be an 27-year old woman with long purple hair and indigo eyes with natural pink tint lips. She may have been known for her ruthless combat prowness on the battlefield but she still treats her fellow soldiers, her knight Lord Guilford and her sister Princess Euphemia (Euphy) as part of her family in which she cares about. She's also trying to be a closer watch on her brother Prince Clovis since his attack upon the inhabitants of Cephiro. But the only person that happens to be her weakness was Princess Euphy. Due to how strong she made her battalion when commanding the Armies of Britannia and how her patriotism is deemed unrivaled, Cornelia was also hailed as the "Goddess of Victory." Ever since she heard the Zero is leading the Black Knights, Cornelia is obsessed in capturing the leader of the Black Knights and bringing him to justice before her father. As of now, she went to check up on Prince Clovis to see how he is doing despite his defeat by the Magic Knights and the armies of Cephiro.

"Clovis, are you okay?!" Cornelia asked out of concern. "Those rotten knights didn't hurt you, did they?!"

"If it hadn't been for Warrant Officer Kururugi, they would've captured me on the spot!" Clovis huffed as he tried to relieve himself of his fears in Cephiro.

"By the way, what happened to Kururugi?" Cornelia asked her brother.

"I'm afraid Euphy is trying to check up on him at the moment." Clovis responded, much to the dismay of Cornelia.

"I wonder why would that Euphy is so concerned with that eleven anyway?" Cornelia asked to herself. "He may have been able to buy us some time before I was able to drop in, but he still has a long way to go before having at that Magic Knight piloting that red Rune God."

"Well, it's not just those Rune Gods that we have to watch out for, sis!" Clovis added in. "Cephiro's allies were also throwing some strange but devastating tricks out of the blue."

"You mean the armies of Chizeta, Autozam, and Fahren?" Cornelia asked in a grim tone.

"Yes, we still have yet to discover what those three countries are known for when going out into battle!" Clovis said warningly. "They saw a glimpse of a giant shooting out a powerful beam of electricity underneath my G-1 base, two genies attacking our forces from the west side of out HQ, and another unidentified flying robot with a huge shoulder cannon."

"We'll deal with that later. Capturing Zero and the Magic Knights is our top priority," Cornelia announced. "Guilford!"

As Lord Gilber G.P Guilford emerged from one of the Gloucester next to the Viceroy's, he reveals himself to be a Britannian's personal Knight of Honor serving directly under Princess Cornelia herself. He was seen as a tall-slender, 27-year old man who has glasses, black hair, and light blue eyes. After helping Cornelia conquered Area 18, he went back to Area 11 with her in order to pursue Zero. However, when word spread out that the Magic Knights and their Rune Gods attacked Viletta's squad in Cephiro, he vowed to hunt down the mysterious knights and publicly execute them in Area 11. Unfortunately, after Clovis' defeat in Cephiro, Cornelia and Guilford have no choice but to regroup at Area 11 before continuing their campaign against Cephiro and the Black Knights.

"Yes, Princess?!" Cornelia's Knight acknowledged.

"Have the captain set a course back to the Tokyo Settlement!" Cornelia said, giving out orders to her knight.

"Understood, your highness!" Guilford replied.


	8. JLF at Narita

Chapter 7: JLF at Narita

After taking their loot all the way back to the Castle, the Magic Knights were able to help treat Fuu and Ferio of their injuries before meeting with the other at the dinning hall. As soon as the Magic Knights meet up with Geo, Aska, and the twin Chizetian Princesses they all celebrated their first allied victory with Zero and the Black Knights at the dinning hall. There were various fruits, veggies, drinks, desserts, and meat placed all over the huge dinning table between them. The dishes were being passed out by the butlers and stewards from the kitchen. As they all feasted, Hikaru was summoned to the Cephirian Royal Court by Clef. When she sat down next to the Master Mage, he made his conversation with the Knight of Fire over the victory at Mt. Dakurd.

"So Hikaru, are you sure you can handle yourself being around Zero?" Clef asked out of concern.

"Clef, if anyone can save Area 11 and bring back what was taken from my fellow citizens, it will be him!" Hikaru responded, referring to Zero.

"Well, I still sense that he has a hatred grudge against a group of certain people within the Holy Britannian Empire, Hikaru!" Clef informed the Flame Knight. "It may have something to do with the Royal Imperial Family that is controlling Area 11, your homeworld. I have a very bad feeling that if his hatred gets out of control, Zero may not be any different from the Britannians."

"You know I can do this, Clef!" Hikaru said, trying to stay determined and confident. "Is there any reason that Zero cannot be trusted?!"

"The future around Zero can be uncertain. However, since he was a Britannian Prince, it might be possible for him to take over the Britannian Throne after defeating them in their final battle. When that happens, he might not keep our promise at all, the way our allies did!" Clef warned Hikaru. "It's as if he was using us like pieces in a chess game!"

"Oh Clef, you worry too much!" Hikaru giggled as she drank a goblet of orange juice in front of her.

At the dinning table, Tamaki couldn't stop stuffing his mouth full with meat and desserts along with Geo Metro.

"Hey Geo, I bet I can eat faster than you!" Tamaki taunted the sub-commander of Autozam while taking a big bite out of a chicken drumstick.

"No you can't!" Geo snapped as he tried to scarf down a bowl of macaroni with both of his hands.

Upon seeing the two men scarfing down their meals, Umi could not help but feel disgusted at such erroneous table manners.

"Geez, boys! Would you two slow down?! This isn't an eating competition!" Umi complained in annoyance while trying to drink her soup.

As the Geo and Tamaki continued eating like crazy, Mokona popped out in front of Tamaki and opened its mouth wide. Before Tamaki could see what was happening, Mokona open his mouth as wide as a punch bowl and shallowed a whole cake with just one gulp.

"HOLY COW, THAT THING IS AN EATING RIOT!" Tamaki laughed while drinking a mug full of beer and pointing at Mokona.

"Yeah well, you should've seen what that ball of fluff did to me when Lantis and Hikaru were traveling outside of the Castle three years ago!" Primera said as she appeared in front of Tamaki. "That crazy cretin almost shallowed me whole at one time!"

"Is that so? Um, you might you be little lady?' Tamaki asked the little fairy.

"I'm Primera I used to be with Lantis as my bodyguard. That isn't until Hikaru met him and everything turned upside down." Primera said as she introduced her before grunting in dismay. "Even though it wasn't worth harassing Hikaru anymore, I still wanted to support Lantis in any way possible."

"So, Mr. Tamaki, what are you guys going to do now?" Fuu asked the hot-headed Black Knight.

"Well kid, that will be up to Zero to decided. Every since he rose up from the shadows of Area 11, I felt skeptical about what he was up to, especially when he helped us fight back against Britannia at the Shinjuku Getto." Tamaki replied with an unamused tone. "But since he helped get far into rebelling against the Empire, I'll do anything to regain our former country back, even if its the last thing I do. Say Fuu, how did you girls end up becoming Knights while in your younger teen years?"

"Let's just say, that we got too carried away with finding our own path without knowing how grim our adventures were getting," Fuu said in disappointment.

"You mean you girls could not find your honor when you first entered Cephiro as Magic Knights, but was able to during your second visit here?!" Tamaki asked out of curiosity.

"I guess you could say that, Mr. Tamaki!" Fuu answered as she smiled.

"So Zero, what do are you going to do now?" Umi asked the masked hero.

As Umi turned to face Zero, she sees the masked leader leaning on the wall behind Tamaki and Kallen. Just when Zero stood up on his two legs, he makes his announcement in front of the Black Knights and the Magic Knights.

"Rakshata will be staying in Cephiro to help do some research and tune-ups with Geo Metro over the Knightmares that the Cephirians have captured. As for us, we'll be heading back to Area 11, to go after Princess Cornelia and her forces at Narita."

Upon hearing this, Tamaki spit out his beer and turned towards Zero out of fear for dealing with one of the Royal Members of the Imperial Family. For the rest of the Black Knights, they all gasped in fear over their next mission in Area 11.

"Zero, are you insane?!" Tamaki protested as he tried to grab Zero with both of his hands. "Her Royal Guard will be on top of us!"

"Yes, but we'll not be fighting them alone now that the Magic Knights are our allies," Zero continued. "They'll be attacking the Japanese Liberation Front at Narita. During their assault, we move in and have one of our squads accompany the Magic Knights."

"You mean, you want us to go with you back to Area 11?" Umi asked Zero.

"I hate to say this Lady Umi, but since one of your fellow Magic Knights put Kallen down with a little too much force, you all owe us!" Zero added in.

"If we go in and confront the Britannian Viceroy, they'll surround us at Narita with no chance of escaping!" Tamaki protested in fear.

"Of course they'll try to cut us off!" Zero responded fearlessly. "Our only chance to survive is to fight!"

"If we're going up against Cornelia, we'll be dealing with a force that's stronger than anyone that we encountered so far!" One of Black Knights said, denying Zero's decisions.

"Then, it'll take a miracle for us to win against her!" Zero said with determination. "Even messiahs needed to perform miracles if they were to survive. Therefore, we have to produce our own miracle as well, don't we?! Since the Magic Knights were able to display their own miracle out on the battlefield before us, there will no turning back anymore."

"But they're a lot different from the rest of us Black Knights and they were able to do things that we cannot do!" Tamaki said in denial tone. "Unlike them, we would end up paying the price with our lives even more worse than they did. I knew it's crazy to make you our leader. I should be the one leading the Black Knights!"

In spite of his anger, Tamaki pulled out his handgun from his holster and started to shove it into Zero's head but not before Zero took out his gun and pointed it directly into Tamaki's lower stomach. Upon seeing this, everyone stopped eating and stared at the two with shock and horror in their eyes. But before they could do anything, Zero dropped his gun on the floor and continued his speech with everyone.

"If you guys think you can win the war with the Britannians without me, then you might as well forget about me or kill me! However, since you people joined the Black Knights, there can only be two choices: one, fight to live another day or two, die trying! What will it be?! And you, Magic Knights, if you want to fight for our own country for the sake of your families, your friends, and for the people of Cephiro, now will be the time."

After hearing Zero's speech, the rest of the Black Knights looked at each other and stood up as they all saluted to Zero for they all choose to fight to live another day, while Tamaki lets go of Zero and backed away, unable to say anymore. As for the Magic Knights, they stood up and made a vow towards Zero.

"We'll do anything to protect our family, the way we protected the Cephirians from facing doom!" All three Magic Knights announced in unison.

As the Black Knights left the dinning hall to get ready to head back to Area 11, Lafarga, Lantis, Ferio, and Zazu decided to tag along with them while the Magic Knights pack up for the return trip. After Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are at the Castle gates getting ready to head back, Hikaru was the first to spot the four men getting ready to leave with the Black Knights.

"Are you sure you're going to meet us back at Area 11?" Hikaru asked, showing concern for Lantis and the other men that are packing up.

"Since they're equipped with teleportation devices latched onto their Knightmares, we'll accompany the Black Knights while undercover so that we won't draw any attention from the Britannians or the Japanese," Lafarga informed the Flame Knight. "Our customized Knightmares will be stashed in their Armory at their hideout until our next battle. Also, Geo will order his engineers to build a gateway to gain access to Area 11, thanks to the blueprints that Rakshata gave him earlier."

"Not to worry, Hikaru," Lantis said as he gave Hikaru a kiss on the head, making her blush. "As soon as we setup shop at Area 11, we'll meet up with you and the other Magic Knights. Only this time, we'll make sure nothing happens to Zazu again."

"Thanks Lantis!" Hikaru said with a smile as she kissed the Magic Swordsman back before accompanying Umi and Fuu on the way back to Area 11.

As the light engulfed the Magic Knights and disappeared from the gate, Lantis went onboard his Knightmare, along with Ferio's and Lafarga's before meeting up with the Black Knights of Japan at the Castle Courtyard.

* * *

Outside of the Ashford Academy, Viletta Nu arrived at the parking lot and went over the school's log book for some investigation on finding clues to the Magic Knight's whereabouts.

"I hope I can start in the Ashford Academy first while finding evidence that might lead us to Zero and the Magic Knights in Cephrio," Viletta thought to herself as she looked at the IDs of the students in the log book. "I can't help but wonder why would those three Eleven transferred students be so nonchalant and unafraid of the Britannian students residing at that school."

As Viletta approached the school, Jeremiah stood beside his limousine while watching the baroness disappear into the school's main entrance.

For Lelouch, he appeared with the Hikaru and C.C while Umi and Fuu went to separate classes at the 2nd floor of the school. Just as soon as Lelouch lead Hikaru to the kitchen, he went over the plan to get Cornelia's attention.

"So Lelouch, do you know how will the battle at Narita will be planned out?" Hikaru asked as she sees Lelouch take out a map that lays out the details of the Narita Mountains.

"The Mountains will be guarded by the remains of the Japanese Liberation Front lead by General Tatewaki Katase." Lelouch spoke quietly with Hikaru. "You'll be in the Zero Squad along with Kallen Kozuki and her team."

"I understand," Hikaru said acknowledging Lelouch's plan for her roles in combat. "What about Umi, Fuu, and the rest of our friends from Cephiro?!"

"Lantis will be in the Zero Squad as well. As for Umi and Fuu, they'll be in Tamaki's Squad!" Lelouch answered. "Ferio will be escorting Ohgi on the frontlines. For Zazu, he'll be working and tuning up our Knightmare Frames before we head out into battle."

"That's fine with me, Lelouch!" Hikaru said in relief. "What about Nunnally? She might get worried about what will happen to you out there!"

"I already took care of that," Lelouch said as he smiled to himself.

* * *

In the morning, at the Mountains of Narita, a log cabin was used as a communications outpost by two JLF soldiers. Inside, they were surveying the area around them for suspicious activity while playing a board game on a table. As they waited until the next scheduled report, Zero appeared when he opened up the door right behind him.

"Zero?!" One of the JLF soldiers exclaimed as he took out his rifle.

Before either soldier could make any move, Zero makes his calm speech in front of them.

"Relax, I came to talk."

As Zero removed his helmet, he activated his geass and told the two soldiers to ignore any unusual activity during their watch.

When Zero's Geass hit his targets, the JLF soldiers put their weapons down and went back to their board game. After seeing his victims do as he says, Zero put his helmet back on and went back outside to observe the view around the Narita Mountains. During his observation, he spots C.C appear in front of him. On the other side of the Mountain, the Zero Squad noticed the signal from Zero and moved up the mountain slope while carrying two crates full of electrodes with one B.K Knightmare pushing it from behind and the other pulled it up front with several B.K infantry hanging on the Knightmare's shoulders. As for Kallen and her Guren, she moved up behind them with Hikaru walking in between them, wearing her full Magic Knight armor.

"Why didn't Zero used the signal from his radio inside his Burai?" One of the Black Knights asked while going up the slope.

"He did say 'hiking' right?" Kallen replied while inside her Guren.

"Maybe it was done through military training?" Hikaru assumed.

Right behind the Guren, Lantis was steering his personal Knightmare up the slope to catch up with Hikaru. It was a Sutherland painted in a complete Black Color. On the Sutherland's face, it was painted with the Emblem of Rayearth in which symbolizes his bond and loyalty towards Hikaru. Lantis' Knightmare happens to be armed with similar weapons that the GTO possessed when he first fought Eagle during his visit at Autozam. It was armed with a Giant Cannon, a Jousting Lance, and a Chest Mounted Machine gun. Even though he had his magic and his sword, Lantis still needed to adapt through Knightmare Frame combat first if he were to help the Magic Knights save Cephiro and Japan from Britannia.

"Hey Lantis! Are you doing okay back there?" Hikaru asked, showing concern for her boyfriend.

"It's been a long time since I was onboard a machine similar to that of Autozam's GTO," Lantis said as he looked at Hikaru from behind. "Not to worry, Hikaru. I won't let you down again like what happened between you and Nova."

"I'm glad that you can with me to Area 11, Lantis!" Hikaru said as she smiled at the Magic Swordsman while inside his Sutherland.

"Who's Nova?!" Kallen asked.

"You definitely don't want to know Kallen!" Lantis said while sweating underneath his breath. "Anyway, we have to stick with Zero's plan if we were to win back both of our countries."

"Understood, sir!" Kallen acknowledged while continuing up the trek in the Narita Mountains.

"What about you Ohgi?" One of the Black Knights spoke through the intercom inside the Deputy Commander's Burai. "Have heard anything from Zero's radio?!

"No, I not a word," Ohgi responded while driving his Knightmare up the mountain trail and looking at the map surrounding Narita. "Zero wasn't using the radio to avoid being tracked. Is he serious about doing this?"

* * *

Meanwhile on the outskirts of the Narita Mountains, another G-1 Base started moving forward with Princess Cornelia sitting on her throne with Lord Guilford standing by her side, while Princess Euphy is monitoring the map table from inside the bridge as sub-viceroy of Area 11. Next to Euphy, there is a tall-muscular man dressed in a red military officer's uniform. He had a scar across his face, light brown hair, and black eyes. He is known as Andreas Dartlon the General and Leader of the Glaston Knights of the Holy Britannian Empire. All around the map table, there were other Britannian Officers dressed in the same way as Darlton.

"It is certain that the Japan Liberation Front is hidden somewhere in the Narita Mountains!" Darlton announced to his fellow officers and Euphy. "We have dispatched 4 battalions into 7 units and had them surround their base while hiding underneath their radar. As soon as we received the signal from the Viceroy, we'll attacked with one big swoop and eliminate them."

"And are you sure that the enemy will not appear outside of their zone?!" Euphy asked, concerning for their determination during this mission.

"You mean Zero?!" Cornelia asked, clarifying of what Euphy is referring to.

"Not to worry, your highness!" Darlton said to Princess Euphy. "As soon as the mission begins, we'll block off all exits, roads, and highways. Also, we'll have the citizens from the nearby cities evacuate immediately."

"We do have reserve units incase anything goes wrong during our mission," Cornelia added. "If Zero does anything stupid to expose his presence out in the open, then we'll take him down as well."

* * *

Somewhere back at the Narita Mountains, Rayearth and the Guren were helping setup the electrodes all over the area along with the rest of the Black Knights, unknown to the JLF forces. As for Lantis, he stood on guard and watched out for any suspicious activity from afar.

"So Hikaru, what made you become a Magic Knight at the age of 14?" Kallen asked after setting up her electrode.

"I thought of this as if it we're in a real-life RPG!" Hikaru said, feeling a bit amused. "But it was actually more than that. I met people that do need help in dealing with people like High Priest Zagato."

"Is that so?!" Kallen asked further.

"Clef told us that because of Zagato's treason, Cephiro was suffering from various monster attacks and people living under a great deal of fear from each other," Hikaru continued.

"There used to be monsters in the world that you and your friends were in?" Kallen said as her eyes widened. "How so?"

"Apart from Ascot's friends, Clef told us that monsters usually come and go because they're usually controlled and created by fear from the hearts of the people. This is also one of the reasons why Cephiro is a Land of the Will."

"So for you, it's been like this when you, Umi, and Fuu first visited Cephiro?"

"Exactly! There's actually more to it about Cephrio than what meets the eye. For a long time, Cephirians has been struggling to create a beautiful, peaceful world without any controlled government. However, after three years of rebuilding itself after we fought hard to bring peace to that world, it still didn't stop other invaders from coming to take away everything that Cephiro is trying to gain. You already know what I'm talking about right?!"

"Yeah, I know. I wish I could see Japan the same way as I see Cephiro now," Kallen thought. "What about your friends, what was their verdict when they first came to Cephiro with you before they became Magic Knights?"

"Umi was against it, thinking that the problems in Cephiro should only be dealt with by the people that live there and that she just insisted on not having anything to do with all this!" Hikaru said, feeling a little disappointed from Umi's behavior back then. "As for Fuu, she decided to play along with our adventures as the Magic Knights. Overall, Clef denied our request to return home until we help save Cephiro from Zagato and his minions."

"That's quite a big catch there, Hikaru!" Kallen said as her Guren placed its Radium Claw on top of her electrode, with Rayearth doing the same thing. "Is being a Magic Knight all you ever dreamed of?"

"Not quite, our journey to protect the people that we love is just the beginning!" Hikaru responded with determination.

* * *

Meanwhile back at Cornelia's G-1 Base, Prince Clovis appeared right besides his sister Euphy while looking down at the map table that's displaying the area around Mt. Narita. Before Clovis could issue some suggestions to Euphy, she starting to wonder why would her brother show up at time like this.

"So Clovis, are you sure you want to help me carry out orders here?"

"Euphy, I've been humiliated by my defeat when the Magic Knights helped the armies of Cephiro overwhelmed our base camps at Mt. Dakurd in Cephiro. Now that our elder sister is on the battlefield, I'm sure Cornelia would teach those three Knights a lesson that they'll never forget." Clovis hissed as he turned to see Euphy on his left. "After all, she's one of the best female Britannian Commanders we ever had out on the battlefield. And if they ever face General Darlton and Lord Guilford during battle, it'll be the last thing they'll ever do!"

"Viceroy, all units are in position!" One of the Britannian officers said as he spoke to Cornelia through the Royal Channel.

"Understood!" Cornelia acknowledged as she embarked on her customized Gloucester inside the G-1's hangar. "Euphemia and Clovis will provide logistical support from the G-1 as planned. Have Euphy command the medical group and have Clovis monitor the map for any enemy reinforcements!"

"Yes, your highness!" The Britannian officer responded in a positive tone.

After giving out her orders to the officers inside the G-1 bridge, Cornelia heard another beep inside her cockpit, indicating another communication channel coming from her knight Lord Guilford.

"Princess Cornelia!"

"Guilford?! Let me guess, it's about Euphy isn't it?!" Cornelia assumed.

"Yes! Well, I think Euphy should do her part in the government agency, not..."

"But she's being pretty stubborn in seeing actual combat personally," Cornelia said, interrupting Guilford's speech.

Back at the bridge of the G-1 Base, Euphy spotted a yellow arrow southwest of the mobile fortress' current position on the map table.

"What is that unit behind us?!" Euphy asked, referring to the yellow arrow on the map table.

"That will be our reserve force, mostly an Eleven pilot!" One of the officers answered.

"You mean the Lancelot?" Euphy asked further.

"Elevens weren't permitted to operate Knightmares. However, since he's an Honorary Britannian, Suzaku is actually an exception," Another officer explained.

"And just remember, Euphy!" Clovis said before informing the sub-viceroy. "I wanted to see Suzaku have may chances at real combat as much as possible to prove his worth to us!"

* * *

Back at the Narita Mountains, they Black Knights and the Magic Knights have finished setting up all of their electrodes as they dug into the ground, with dirt coming out of their funnels. As the operation continued, Zero watched before Ohgi came up to him to clarify with their mission of capturing Cornelia, while the rest stood by behind the two.

"Are you sure you want to go after Cornelia?" Ohgi asked, fearing the wrath of the Britannian Viceroy of Area 11.

"What? You don't believe that I can help you fight back against Britannia anymore?" Zero said, taken back by what Ohgi is getting at.

"Well, I asked you to be our leader, right?!" Ohgi said, as his eyes widened with confusion.

"Then, there is only one way to answer this..." Zero said to the Deputy Commander.

* * *

"Viceroy, it's time!" General Darlton said through Cornelia's channel.

"Right, commence operation!" Cornelia announced to her forces.

The moment she activated her Knightmare, Cornelia took off from the G-1 Hanger and proceeded into battle with the rest of her units. At the same time, the rest of the other Britannian Knightmares started popping out from their hiding places, while others dropped down from the sky after being carried by their air transports.

In the JLF underground HQ, their map picked up a hundred signals at an alarming rate. Upon seeing this, the JLF general came up to one of his officers to inform him of this immediate turn of events.

"We're under attack!" The General Katase said with horror in his eyes.

"Yes sir! Mt. Narita is surrounded by Britannian Forces. About a hundred of their Knightmares have been spotted in the vicinity!" One of the officers reported while saluting to the general.

"Our ground forces are captured all at once!" Another JLF Officer reported.

"General, we've received word from Princess Cornelia's forces demanding our surrender!" The 3rd JLF Officer told General Katase.

"YOU IMBECILES!" Katase shouted in anger. "If we surrender now, the whole resistance will fall down along with us!"

"So, do we engage Cornelia's forces or are we going to dig in?!" One of the officers asked.

"Where is Commander Tohdoh?!" Katase asked one of his officers.

"He went to Kyoto to get the customized Burai, along with the Four Holy Swords! They should be returning soon by now!"

"Prepare to send out the Burais!" The General ordered his officers. "We'll show the Britannians our spirit and pride, for it will be our moment of truth!"

* * *

"Remember what I said back in Cephiro before carrying out our mission at Narita!" Zero said as he made his announcement to the Black Knights, Cephrio's warriors, and the Magic Knights. "If you wanted to become heroes filled with miracles like the Magic Knights you see before you, now will be the time to do it! So, are you all in or are you all out?!"

After giving it some thought to themselves, the Black Knights finally made their decision.

"Okay fine, you do what you have to do to keep us alive!" Tamaki said, finally yielding to Zero's leadership.

"We'll follow you all the way to the bitter end, Zero!" One of the Black Knights said, acknowledging Zero's influence.

"Thank you very much, everyone!" Zero replied as he ordered the Black Knights and the other two Magic Knight allies to wait inside the trees before ambushing the Britannians, while Kallen stands by to activate the electrodes.

* * *

As Darlton's forces scaled up the Mountain slopes, they move in to search for the JLF's secret base. While inside his cockpit of his Gloucester, Darlton started to clarify on what he is up against in the JLF.

"What Knightmares are they using against us again?!"

"The Burais, sir!" One of Darlton's soldiers answered from another Knightmare.

"Right!" Darlton acknowledged. "Remember boys, they're like Sudo Glasgows so watch out for them!"

"Yes, my Lord!" Darlton's soldiers responded, heeding his orders.

Somewhere on the other side of Narita near Cornelia's position, she spotted several trees move aside where a squad of JLF Burais appear from the ground in front of her. As Cornelia approached, several of her men were right behind her.

"It seems that they treated this mountain like a fortress," Cornelia thought while piloting her customized Gloucester.

"Your highness, please get back!" Guilford told the princess as he steered his Gloucester right besides Cornelia's.

"Guilford, please! I'm not some sort of random lady that can't defend herself in a dark area, I'm a Commander of Britannia's elite forces!" Cornelia said, denying her Knight's request as she moved forward with her Knightmare.

"Princess Cornelia, wait!" Guilford shouted.

"It's Princess Cornelia!" One of the JLF soldiers inside his Burai shouted. "GET HER!"

As the squad of three Burais opened fire at Cornelia's Knightmare with their assault rifles, she rushed forward dodging their shots and struck with her jousting lance.

"INSOLENT WORMS!" Cornelia shouted ruthlessly as she swung her lance and knocked the two Burais to the ground all at once and impaled the third one in its chest, obliterating him in an instant above her Knightmare.

As the fight pressed on between the JLF and Cornelia's guard, her main force gained the upper hand.

"CORNELIA IS HERE! IS THERE NO ONE ELSE FOOLISH ENOUGH TO CHALLENGE ME?!" Cornelia taunted out loud as she stood in a fearless stance with her lance pointing straight to the sky while holding its shaft with her left grip, hitting its rear end on the ground.

* * *

During the ensuing battle between Britannia's Knightmares and the JLF forces, Darlton's squad spotted a mountain lodge above the trees in front of their position.

"General, I've confirmed that the lodge up ahead is the main base of the JLF!" One of Darlton's soldiers reported.

"Bingo!" General Darlton acknowledged. "Let's have Cornelia know too."

In an instant, Darlton raised a signal flare from his Gloucester in order to get Princess Cornelia's attention from the other side of Narita.

"It looks like General Darlton must've spotted the JLF's main base!" Lord Guilford said as he spoke to Cornelia through her channel inside his Knightmare.

"Then, we'll secure our position here first!" Cornelia suggested, giving out orders to Guilford. "Have the reserve force reinforce Darlton's position."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the area where Zero and his personal squad are at, he is inside his customized Burai getting ready to carry out the plan to attack Cornelia at Narita.

"I knew you were always impressive, Cornelia," Zero muttered as he took off his mask. "Even with such brilliant deployment, your location is still predictable!"

As he spotted Cornelia's forces get closer to the Narita Mountain, Zero makes his first order out on the battlefield.

"ALL PREPARATIONS ARE NOW COMPLETED! Black Knights of Japan, Magic Knights of Cephiro, prepare to move out!"

"You heard what he said guys!" Umi told to the rest of the Black Knights. "If none of you want to die here, then make your miracle happen right now!"

After hearing Umi's voice coming from her Rune God Selece, the Black Knight infantry mounted up and loaded their all their weapons and Burais for battle. For the Magic Knights, as soon as they went onboard their Rune Gods, they all drew out their swords before backing up their designated squads.

"We are going to launch a surprise attack on Cornelia's forces at the summit of the mountain!" Zero announced as his Burai drew out its Assault Rifle from its holster. "You are to change down on to point 3! And our top priority is to capture Viceroy Cornelia, 2nd Princess of Britannia. We'll start our breakthrough with the Guren and Rayearth!"

As Kallen went onboard her Guren and powered it up from the inside of its cockpit, she hears Zero issuing out his first orders to the Ace pilot of the Black Knights.

"Kallen, use Electrode #3 and do it with one blow!"

"Got it!" Kallen acknowledged before turning towards Hikaru while placing its Radium claw on top of the Electrode. "Are you ready to face Cornelia in battle, Hikaru?!"

"I was born ready!" Hikaru smirked as she drew out her broadsword while inside her Rune God.

"Good then, output confirmed! Radiation wave level surges ready and holding!" Kallen announced as she activated her Radium Claw to maximum power.

"This is my chance to stop Cornelia here before she attacks Cephiro!" Hikaru said to herself as she readied herself with her battle stance.

"ACTIVATING GAUNTLET NOW!" Kallen spoke as she unleashed a Radiation Wave on the Electrode.

In an instant, the radiation waves were transferred through the Electrode. Underneath the ground where the end of the Electrode is, the radiation fired a H20 pressure full of bubbles in the water underneath the mountain. After a few seconds, a massive rumble started to occur all over the Mt. Narita. As a result, the ground exploded from underneath and unleashed a landslide that engulfed and took out several JLF Burai's and Alex's and Darlton's entire detachments.

Upon seeing this back at the G-1 Base, Euphy and the officers could not help but wonder how could a landslide occur in the middle of the Narita Mountains.

"SOLDIERS, GET TO HIGHER GROUND!" Darlton ordered his remaining soldiers as he activated his Slash Harkens.

As Darlton's Slash Harkens struck the ground outside of the landslide, he struggled to pull himself up and away from the destructive mess underneath his Knightmare.

"Status report!" Cornelia ordered.

"We're still trying to confirm!" The Princess soldiers responded.

"Your highness, it's dangerous over there!" Guilford told Cornelia. "Get back now!"

"I don't care!" Cornelia protested, concerning over the lives of her men. "Find Darlton and Alex!"

* * *

Back inside the underground JLF base, the floor started to shake as the officers struggled to hold onto something immobile.

"W-What's happening out there?!" One of the officers said in a panic.

"Is this place still going to hold?" General Katase asked in fear.

"Well, the central area should make it through!" Katase's officers said while holding onto the map table.

* * *

Inside the transport carrying the Lancelot, Lloyd spotted the landslide from his map computer along with Cecil.

"Oh my! With this going on, they'll be swept all the way to the bottom of the mountain!" Lloyd said calmly.

"This is abnormal!" Cecil said in denial. "Is this caused by a volcanic eruption?!"

"That's absurd, unless someone was using Rakshata's Radium Wave Surger!" Lloyd replied to Cecil.

"Did something happen?" Suzaku asked as he turned to face Lloyd and Cecil from Lancelot's cockpit.

"It has nothing to do with us, so just relax and wait for further orders," Lloyd said to Suzaku while being nonchalant.

* * *

As the landslide came down from Narita, it engulfed a nearby city south of its mountains. Just when it stopped, the landslide caused damage to the buildings that are close to the forest, while toppling over several of them.

"It's even more destructive that I thought it would be!" Lelouch grinned. "By doing so, we have succeeded in isolating Cornelia's unit away from the rest of her forces. However, if we were to do this more accurately, I'm sure that this landslide will not reach the city at all. Maybe by being lectured by a physics teacher or being supervised by Nina Einstein over probabilities."

Back at Cornelia's position, she still stood by to see if they can continue with their mission in taking out the JLF. Before she could do anything else, Cornelia's channel started kicking in as one of her soldiers makes his report on the battlefield.

"New enemy forces are appearing from the summit. Carius' unit is on the field, preparing to engage them!"

"I bet they'll try to take advantage of the confusion, eh?!" Cornelia thought to herself before getting a response of Carius himself.

"This is Carius' unit on an emergency roll-call!" One of Carius' soldiers shouted through Cornelia's channel.

"What's wrong?!" Cornelia asked in alarm.

"It's not the Japanese Liberation Front! IT'S THE BLACK KNIGHTS!"

"What?! Then that means..." Cornelia responded in shock.

"IT'S ZERO!" Jeremiah shouted as he steered his Sutherland away from his position. "How dare he show up at Narita!? ZERO!"

"Lord Jeremiah, wait!" Viletta exclaimed as she tried desperately to catch up with "Orange Boy" with her Sutherland. "You can't just abandon your post!"

"It's my biggest chance! If you want glory against Zero, then FOLLOW ME!" Jeremiah shouted at the top of his lungs.

As Zero's Burai pressed forward, along with 5 other Burai's, Rayearth, and the Guren following from behind, they begun attacking the Britannians head on.

"Cornelia has a limited number of reinforcements!" Zero announced from inside his Burai. "Smash right through them!"

"YES, WE CAN DO THIS!" Tamaki said excitedly as he opened fire with the Burai's assault rifle, destroying one enemy Sutherland up front.

As for Hikaru, she had Rayearth fly over Zero's squad and struck into the middle of Britannian squad of Sutherlands. Before one of the Sutherlands turned around and opened fire at the Rune God, he was met with chop in the Knightmare's side by Hikaru's sword in which slashed right through its torso before he exploded the moment he collapsed. For the Sutherland behind Hikaru, he was about to shoot her with his Assault Rifle only for the Magic Knight of Fire to do another chop on enemy Knightmare. This time, Hikaru chopped off the Sutherland's head from its torso before the pilot activated his ejector seat, sending him flying into the woods behind him.

"Alright everyone, you know the game plan!" Inoue said as her eyes narrowed after looking through her binoculars. "Our job is to watch our backs. Ready the RPGs!"

As soon as their RPGs are loaded and aiming at Britannia's battle tanks, Inoue shouts out her command at the top of her lungs.

"FIRE!"

In less than a second, three Black Knights fired their RPGs at the battle tanks. Upon impact, the tank tumbled to its side before it exploded.

"The enemy has taken out Carius' unit?!" Jeremiah muttered as his eyes widened. "If I can finish off Zero before he reaches Princess Cornelia, then I'm golden!"

"Lord Jeremiah are you still there?!" Viletta said through her channel.

"Viletta, you finally came to back me up!" Jeremiah smiled in a positive tone.

While doing battle against the Britannians, Windam and Selece flew up from the trees behind the Black Knights and charged forward while delivering kicks and jabs at the enemy Sutherlands that got in their way. As Sutherlands fell on the ground, Umi charged up her magic and unleashed it at Darlton's Gloucester.

"SAPPHIRE WHIRLWIND!"

As a blue magical whirlwind shot out from Selece's hands, the Gloucester started spinning his Jousting Lance in a circular motion to repel against Umi's magic. Behind Umi, Windam appeared from her side and aimed her hand at the same Gloucester as a small spiral green wind appeared.

"EMERALD TYPHOON!"

After blocking Umi's magic with his lance, Darlton steered away from Fuu's magic with his landspinners and opened fire at Windam with his Assault Rifle.

"Princess Cornelia, it's Magic Knights. They're here on the battlefield and they're assisting the Black Knights!" Darlton spoke through his communication channel while fighting against Umi's and Fuu's Rune Gods.

"I never thought that the Magic Knights would form an allegiance with Zero and the Black Knights! But no matter, we're just going to have to fight them too," Cornelia muttered to herself before announcing her new orders through all of her open channels. "Attention, all Britannian forces! The Magic Knights of Cephiro are now spotted on the battlefield at Narita, aiding the Black Knights in their wake. You are to defeat them and capture all three of them at all costs. Anyone who is able to do so, I'll promote them as a Honorable Nobles of the Britannian Empire!"

"YES, YOUR MAJESTY!" All of the Britannian soldiers shouted in unison.

* * *

"ZERO!" Jeremiah shouted as he opened fire at the Black Knight's Burai's.

After getting struck by Jeremiah, the two Black Knights ejected from their defeated Burai's as they left the battlefield.

"Is Zero here?!" Jeremiah asked as two of his fellow Purist Members appeared on his left. "If he is, then face me! Come forth and fight Jeremiah Gottwald!"

"It's been awhile Jeremiah!" Zero smirked while facing Jeremiah with his Burai. "So, you're still in the army?! I'd love to stay and play, but I don't have the time for it, Orange boy!"

"OOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHH! ORANGE?!" Jeremiah growled." PREPARE TO DIE!"

Just as Jeremiah attempted to charge at Zero's Burai, Kallen's Guren appeared from above and landed right in front of the raging Purist Faction member. The next thing that happened is when the Guren knocked the Assault Rifle from Jeremiah's hands as he drew out his stun tonfas.

"LORD JEREMIAH!" Viletta shrieked.

"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Jeremiah shouted back as he was getting ready to fight with his Sutherland. "This is my fight!"

"But I never seen such a Knightmare like that before. Is it possible that the Elevens were able to get their hands on it?!" Viletta said in a panic.

"Like hell I'm ever going to believe that!" Jeremiah shouted in denial.

As Jeremiah's Sutherland attempted to attack the Guren with his tonfas, the Guren jumped up high above the ground 65 feet and did a mid-air flip before landing in front of him again.

"Is this what destroyed Carius' unit?!" Jeremiah asked to himself.

"Yeah, that's right Britannia! Now that I got this Knightmare under my control, it'll be our turn to go against you in equal footing!" Kallen snarled. "Behold, the Guren MK-II!"

"And don't forget us, the Magic Knights of Cephiro!" Hikaru shouted as she slammed into the ground with her left fist hitting the ground while kneeling behind the Guren.

"It's Rayearth!" Viletta exclaimed.

As the fight continued with Jeremiah's Sutherland and Kallen's Guren, Jeremiah attempted to reverse his Knightmare away from the Eleven's Knightmare. However, the Guren's Radium Claw was able to extend further and grabbed the Sutherland by the face.

"Prepare to die, Britannia!" Kallen glared as she activated her Radium Claw.

"LORD JEREMIAH!" Viletta shouted in horror before she was confronted by Hikaru's Rune God.

"Nice try, Britannian!" Hikaru shouted through her Rune God as she held her sword up to Viletta's Knightmare in the neck.

As his Sutherland's Tungsten Metal started bubbling from the inside due to the Radiation that Guren's Claw is emitting, Jeremiah started to feel a red electrical surge spew out from inside his cockpit as it started damaging him and his controls, forcing his main camera to malfunction with a massive static display.

"W-WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Jeremiah shrieked in horror as he sees a small glimpse of Zero's Burai behind the Guren. "NO! I CAN'T RUN NOW! ZERO IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!"

As the damage in his Knightmare continued to accumulate, the ejector seat started to activate as the Ejection Seat screen started to appear before Jeremiah.

"DAMMIT, DON'T YOU DARE ACTIVATE ON ME, AUTO EJECT!" Jeremiah screeched as his nose started bleeding. "I KNOW I CAN STILL GET ZERO...GYAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

Just like that, Jeremiah collapsed onto his side in a crippled state as his cockpit ejected from his Sutherland before it exploded behind the Guren.

As the flames all around the Guren burst out, not damaging the red Knightmare, Kallen feels rather pleased with herself that she is able to get the upper hand against the Britannians, despite her defeat against Hikaru and Rayearth.

"I won't lose to a Britannian scum." Kallen grinned. "Not with this, Guren MK-II!"

"She defeated Jeremiah!" Viletta muttered in fear. "Who are the Black Knights?! Who are these warriors?!"

"Now that all our tasks are met, the only thing to do is to check my opponent's strength and weakness," Zero smirked upon witnessing the glory of Kallen's Guren.

"Come on, baroness!" Hikaru hissed as she lunged with her sword at Viletta's Sutherland. "Let's dance!"

As she caught the sight of Rayearth attacking, Viletta steered her Sutherland backwards to avoid Hikaru's lunge attack before opening fire with her assault rifle. Rayearth raised his shield up to ward off the Sutherland's gunfire before powering up her broadsword. After making a vertical slice with her sword, Hikaru unleashed another beam of white flames at the Sutherland, much to Viletta's horror. In a immediate reaction, Viletta steered her Knightmare to her left as she barely missed Hikaru's attack by one meter in width.

"Those Magic Knights are full of surprises!" Viletta thought to herself as she hurled a Chaos Mine at Rayearth. "I'll still find a way to defeat them even if its the last thing I do!"

As the Chaos Mine hovered in the air, it unleashed another barrage of dangerous shrapnel at Rayearth. At the same time, Viletta's Sutherland shot out two of her Slasher Harkens at the Red Rune God, only for it to parry both of them with her broadsword. As Hikaru charged forward to Viletta's position, she held her shield up front with her left hand and her sword held onto her right hand.

"You won't escape this time!" Hikaru grunted as she tried to defend herself against Viletta's Assault Rifle fire.

"Back off!" Viletta screamed as she reversed her Knightmare while continuing to shoot at Rayearth with her Assault Rifle.

Despite her efforts, Viletta was met with Rayearth's Flame Arrow shooting straight at her with extreme precision. Upon impact, Rayearth's magic struck Viletta's Sutherland in both of her landspinners, making her Knightmare completely immobilized.

"No! I lost again!" Viletta screamed in terror as she activated her ejector seat.

As the ejector compartment flew away with Viletta inside it, her Knightmare exploded when Rayearth slashed across its Tungsten armor with its sword, dissecting the torso from its legs. Before Hikaru had a chance to go after Viletta inside her ejector cockpit, she was met by another barrage of Assault Rifle fire from the other Purist Faction members of Britannia. After raising her shield to block their bullets, Zero gave Hikaru another order on the battlefield.

"Hikaru, we'll deal with the Purist Members. You go after Princess Cornelia!"

"Understood!" Hikaru responded in a fierce tone.

Upon hearing new orders from Zero, Hikaru raised her hand up to the sky and summoned a ball of strange, red magic from her palm. In an instant, Hikaru teleported herself away from the Purist Faction, leaving behind a small, red flash behind them, confusing the Britannian soldiers.

On the other side of Narita, Ferio's Burai, Lantis' Sutherland, and Lafarga's Gloucester make their moves upon the Britannian Forces, with the Black Knight's Burais backing them up.

* * *

As the fight between Darlton's Knightmare and Umi's Rune God continues, the Britannian General is still able to hold his ground while parrying against Umi's rapier in several reps, with Umi dodging the General's lance during his retaliation. In the middle of the fight with the Knight of Water, Darlton attempts to make contact with some of his remaining soldiers.

"Corporal, what's our casualty rate?"

"About 20% of our forces are down, sir!" The Corporal answered through the communication channel.

"Twenty percent?!" Darlton grunted while blocking another of Umi's lunge attacks with her rapier. "Our Command structure can't sustain this much damage!"

"This is Marcel's unit! We can't contact General Alex's unit at all! It looks as if our 2nd division is annihilated!"

* * *

Back at the transport carrying the Lancelot, the two Britannian engineers and the Honorary Britannian were able to hear the communication coming from both Marcel's channel and Darlton's channel.

"This is so unnatural!" Lloyd thought.

"What is?!" Suzaku asked while sitting in his pilot seat of the white Knightmare.

"It seems that the Black Knights and the Magic Knights have appeared on screen!" Lloyd reported. "This may be your chance to shine once again, Suzaku."

"Then that means Zero and the Magic Knights must have..." Suzaku muttered to himself.

"Well, since the High Command is still gathering data, we can only play it by ear, right?!" Lloyd suggested to Cecil and Suzaku.

As random mumbo jumbo started blurting out all over the communication channels, the officers were trying to suggest Euphy some decisions to make while inside the G-1 Base.

"Is Viceroy Cornelia safe?" The 1st Officer asked, concerning for the 2nd Princess of Britannia.

"Yes, she is outside of the mud flow!" The 2nd Officer responded, bringing out the good news and the bad news on the battlefield. "But the mud flow has taken out the units guarding Cornelia. She's totally isolated from the rest of our forces."

"What the hell are those Purebloods doing?!" The 3rd Officer asked in a panic. "They should be backing up Princess Cornelia by now.

* * *

The moment Hikaru disengaged fighting the Purebloods and teleported herself away from them, Kallen's Guren moved right into their flank, right where the Flame Knight was last seen at, and started to unleash hell up close and person. With just one swift movement, the Guren grabbed a nearby Purist's Sutherland by the head and showered a radiation wave. Despite the Purist's attempt to eject from his Knightmare, he could not escape his death by the hands of an Eleven.

"Come on, move! I can't lose to an Eleven! I'M A BRITANNIAN!"

That was the last thing the pilot said before he blew up along with his defeated Sutherland.

"Alright R2, move to plant point!" Zero said, issuing out orders to his Black Knights. "We'll break through the rest of our forces and met up with Hikaru while she keeps Cornelia at bay!"

As the battle rages on, explosions erupted from within the forest, Burais get shot down and Black Knight members ended up getting killed or badly wounded. However, Lelouch was expecting them to move swiftly on the battlefield like the Magic Knights of Cephiro did.

"If you Black Knights survive this battle, you then, can call yourselves true warriors of Japan." Zero said in his head.

* * *

"Sir, the Purebloods are falling back and Lady Viletta is pinned down in the forest!" One of the soldiers spoke to the officer on the channel.

"That's not good! Send in the air support to cover Cornelia's retreat!" The Officer replied.

"Wait! Another unit is approaching the Viceroy from behind!" Euphy informed as she spotted two units on the map table heading straight to where Cornelia is at.

* * *

As Cornelia and her guards advanced, they were met by a red beam of light appearing in front of them. As soon as the light disappeared, the red Rune God showed up and drew out his broadsword. It was Rayearth. Unknown to them, the Rune God was piloted by Hikaru, the Magic Knight of Fire. Despite their efforts of attacking Hikaru, 5 more Sutherlands were defeated by Hikaru's magic and with several quick draws of her escudo sword. Before Hikaru could get Cornelia, she gets confronted by one of her knights.

"Princess, stay back! It's one of the Magic Knights of Cephiro!" Lord Guilford shouted as he steered his Gloucester right in front of Cornelia's. "I'll deal with this one!"

"If I remember correctly from what Zero said about Cornelia's guard, one of them happens to be the Viceroy's most honorable knight of Britannia, Lord Guilford!" Hikaru thought to herself before taunting him out loud. "Alright Guilford! If it's a fight you want, then bring it on!"

As Guilford made his first move, he lunged his jousting lance at Hikaru only to be repelled by her broadsword. Just when Hikaru attacked back with her sword, Guilford's lance split into four more spearheads. Undiscouraged by such a flexible weapon, Hikaru continued to press on with her sword strikes at Guilford before she jumped backwards to evade one of his Lance thrusts. The moment she landed on her two feet, Hikaru struck again with a vertical chop with her sword to be met with Guilford blocking it with the shaft of his lance. In less than a second, Guilford shoved Hikaru's sword away from him with his lance and attempted to make a forceful impale on the Rune God's chest. However, Hikaru lifted Rayearth's shield up and struggled to block Guilford's lance only for it to penetrate the shield by a foot close to her face. Not wanting to get stabbed in the face, Hikaru swung her sword in a horizontal swipe but not before Guilford's Gloucester jump several feet back and away from Hikaru's counterattack. Before Guilford could do anymore, Hikaru threw out another magic wave heading directly to his position. Upon seeing this, Guilford panicked as he attempted to block Hikaru's wave attack with his lance. However, the moment Hikaru's magic from her sword reaches to the feet of Guilford's Knightmare, it exploded from underneath, almost knocking him backwards while still standing.

"Damn! Just how much power does this Magic Knight have?!" Guilford said while sweating underneath his breath.

* * *

On the highway leading to Narita, two huge trucks were heading towards the mountain. Inside the trucks, the Four Holy Swords were driving towards their rendezvous to aid the Japanese Liberation Front. They happened to be an elite team of warriors of the JLF. They go by Nagisa Chiba, Shogo Asahina, Ryoga Senba, and Kotsetsu Urabe.

The Four Holy Swords were being lead by Lt. Colonel Kyuoshiro Tohdoh. He is known to have spiky black hair, eyebrows and grey eyes. During Britannia's Invasion over Japan, Tohdoh was known to win against their forces without their Knightmares despite losing Japan's former glory. Earlier before the invasion, he used to be Suzaku's instructor during the Honorary Britannian's childhood. Even though their country is lost, Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords still live to fight back against the Britannians; this time with their customized Burai Kai. As they prepare for battle of Narita, Tohdoh makes his announcement to his squad.

"All units, are you ready?!"

"Yes!" All four elite members replied in unison.

"Alright, deploy the custom Burais!" Tohdoh continued with his orders.

As the top compartment of the two trucks opened up, 4 Burai Kai were lifted all the way to the top, with their left hand on the grip of their revolving swords pointing its blade on the floor. As for Tohdoh's Burai, it's face and shoulders were painted in a grey-white color, apart from the other Burais that were painted with a black torso and shoulder pads.

"Listen carefully, the custom Burais were manmade. It should be enough to allow us to hit Cornelia from behind!" Tohdoh announced to the Four Holy Swords. "Capture Cornelia now! Take revenge for what happened seven years ago!"

"Yes sir, by the honor of the Four Holy Swords!" The Elite warriors said in unison.

* * *

As the fight between Hikaru and Guilford continues, Cornelia spotted another enemy unit coming in from her radar. Four more Knightmares appeared as they jumped out from the trees in front of Cornelia and her forces. Upon seeing this behind Rayearth, Guilford's eyes widened with shock and makes his attempt to protect Cornelia.

"ENEMY REINFORCEMENTS!" Guilford shouted as he disengaged from his fight with Hikaru. "PROTECT HER HIGHNESS!"

"What in the world is that?!" Hikaru said in shock as she turned around to see what Guilford saw.

After taking down several Sutherlands, the Burai Kais started to converge onto Cornelia but not before one of them spots Rayearth on the battlefield.

"What is that strange Knightmare doing here?!" Urabe muttered referring to Hikaru's Rune God. "Hey! Who are you?!"

"I'M JAPANESE!" Hikaru shouted through her Rune God, giving Cornelia and Guilford quite a shock.

"The Magic Knight is actually Japanese?! An Eleven?!" Cornelia muttered to herself in a confused tone.

"I saw that thing fight one of the Cornelia's Knights!" Senba told the other elite members. "That thing might be an ally of ours!"

"How can that be?!" Asahina asked Senba. "We don't even know who is piloting that thing nor we know what his or her true intentions are!"

"Then we'll just have to find out after the battle!" Tohdoh suggested to the Four Holy Swords. "For now, let's get this over with. SLASH AND IN CIRCLE!"

Upon hearing Tohdoh's command, the Burai Kais circled around and slashed every Britannian Sutherland that stood in their way.

"Your highness, leave it to us! You have to withdraw for now!" Guilford suggested as he confronted one of the Burais that Tohdoh was piloting.

As Guilford's lance collided with Tohdoh's revolving sword, Cornelia decides to move on but not before issuing another order to Guilford.

"Guilford, after you drive them back, meet me over at point 9!"

"Yes, your highness!" Guilford said, acknowledging Cornelia's orders.

When two of the Four Holy Swords members tried to go after Cornelia, she reacted by firing her Slasher Harkens first and then thrusted her lance through both warriors at once, breaking through their formation.

"YOU WEAKLINGS!" Cornelia snarled as she drove her Gloucester off the battlefield.

However, Hikaru was seen chasing Cornelia down the mountains while flying in mid-air.

"You're not going to get away that easy, Princess Cornelia!" Hikaru hissed as she aimed her magic at Cornelia's Gloucester from behind. "FLAME ARROW!"

Inside her cockpit, Cornelia sees a warning, beeping noise, indicating that the Red Rune God is pursuing her from behind. In a heated stroke, Cornelia steered her Knightmare to her side and evaded Hikaru's magic before turning around. As her Gloucester started moving backwards and faced Rayearth, Cornelia opened fire with her Assault Rifle at the encroaching Rune God at will.

"It looks like I have another challenger!" Cornelia thought. "Let's see if this Magic Knight can keep up with me!"

While Cornelia's Gloucester kept firing her Assault Rifle at Rayearth during the pursuit, Hikaru kept her shield up to her side while deflecting the bullets while chasing after the Britannian Princess.

* * *

As the remaining Purist members are falling back, they covered their retreat with return fire from their Sutherlands' Assault Rifles.

"Soldiers, crush Zero!" Cornelia shouted through her Royal Channel.

Behind the rocks, Zero and the Black Knights are seeking cover while trying to communicate with each other.

"We should get Kallen over here!" One of the Black Knights suggested.

"No, we do that and our plan will go up in smoke!" Zero said in denial. "This is grim! If we keep that up, we'll be running into Cornelia's Guard next. I hope Hikaru is able to evade them before luring Cornelia all the way to our ambush point."

"Zero! Cornelia's Guard is getting ambushed by another group of warriors from down below the mountains!" Hikaru spoke through her intercom to Zero.

"What? By who?" Zero asked in shock.

"It's not the Black Knights or our Cephirian comrades!" Hikaru said in a negative tone. "I think the JLF has got more reinforcements!"

"Did some else try to go after Cornelia too?!" Zero said to himself in a positive tone. "Excellent! They may be able to hold off Cornelia's Royal Guard next."

* * *

Inside the underground JLF Base, another screen appeared on the map and revealed Tohdoh speaking to his fellow JLF members.

"Sorry we're late, General Katase!"

"Tohdoh! It's about time you showed up!" The General said out of relief.

"General, please send all remaining JLF Forces to rendezvous with me!" Tohdoh requested.

"Can you beat them?!" Katase asked.

"Yes if we can hold off their main force!" Tohdoh replied with determination. "We may have the chance to turn the tables against the Britannians!"

As Tohdoh continued his fight with Guilford, the knight of Cornelia's guard thought of something that may concern with who he's dealing with right now.

"I heard rumors about a powerful fighter lurking in the shadows of Area 11!" Guilford thought, referring to the customized Burai Kai in front of his Gloucester. "Is it him?! Is this Tohdoh?!"

* * *

During the continuing clash between Umi and Darlton, they both heard artillery cannon fire coming out from within the mountains of Narita. As the explosions erupted all around them, Darlton immediately disengaged from his fight with Selece, realizing that the tide has turned against them.

"It looks like that the JLF is just getting started," Umi thought as she looked over her shoulder and then back towards Darlton's Gloucester.

"Why now, at a time like this?" Darlton said in a fearful tone. "All units fall back and regroup with Princess Cornelia!"

"Sir, we're so close in taking out the base!" One of the Britannian soldiers responded as he moved backwards with his Sutherland while firing.

"Don't be a fool!" Darlton growled in terror. "If those Elevens take down Cornelia, we'll lose this battle!"

"Yes sir-AAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!" The Britannian Knightmare pilot replied only to scream in terror as the ground underneath his Sutherland collapsed, taking him with it along with the other pilot next to him.

"We'll settle this fight another day, Magic Knight!" Darlton shouted as he turned away from the Knight of Water. "Next time you won't be so lucky, until then. Farewell!"

As Umi sees Darlton leave her alone, Umi is starting to wonder if she and the Magic Knights are able to do the right thing for Japan and Cephiro. Nevertheless, Umi flew up into the air and went to regroup with Fuu and their Cephirian Allies.

"General Darlton!" Umi muttered to herself. "Don't think this is over yet. I just hope the others are alright."

* * *

Back at the G-1 Base, Clovis was the first to notice that the battle is turning grim for the Britannian Army.

"Sister! We have to act now to prevent another disaster!" Clovis shrieked at he turned to face Euphy. "We need to send in the G-1!"

"No, Clovis!" Euphy denied.

"But sub-viceroy, Lord Guilford's unit is pinned down and they can't get to Cornelia!" One of the officers said, informing Euphy. "One of the Magic Knights is pursuing her from behind; her Royal Highness is in danger!"

"We can't!" Euphy shook her head in a negative gesture. "There was a field hospital that was filled with civilians. They just evacuated and relocated themselves all the way to here! Since this is our command center, the Viceroy doesn't want me to move it for any reason!"

On the map table, Euphy spots another screen appear below her, showing Suzaku, Lloyd, and Cecil in the Lancelot cockpit.

"Hello there, your highness!" Lloyd greeted. "Reporting for duty, Princess!"

"Insolent fools!" One of the officers snarled at the mini-screen. "You irregulars must remain silent and observe!"

"Yes sir, but all of this lingering is rather boring!" Lloyd said in denial.

"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, please order us into the battle!" Suzaku spoke out loud.

"So transparent!" Another officer said in annoyance. "You just wanted glory for rescuing Viceroy Cornelia. Do you think one unit alone is going to change things with an Eleven pilot?!"

"It won't hurt as much if we just at least try even if we lose, right?!" Lloyd said in a persuasive tone.

"Yes, I understand!" Euphy said, accepting Lloyd's and Suzaku's request. "Please do it!"

"Thank you, your highness!" Suzaku acknowledged with determination on the battlefield.

* * *

Just when Tohdoh and Guilford disengaged from their fight, the Lord Knight hurled a chaos grenade, forcing Tohdoh and his warriors to scatter immediately.

"Such a fearsome opponent," Tohdoh thought to himself.

"Lt. Colonel, what about Cornelia?" One of the Four Holy Swords asked, concerning their recent mission.

"Since that strange Knightmare is chasing after Cornelia, it may be possible that the pilot inside it might be working for Zero as well," Tohdoh wagered. "If so, that Knightmare might be luring Cornelia straight into Zero's position right now. We got to trust Zero!"

"Where is Zero?!" Guilford asked his fellow soldiers.

"Zero's projector course his heading straight to where Cornelia and Rayearth are at!" One of the Purist members reported.

Upon seeing this, Guilford's eyes widened in terror as he realized that another Knightmare is waiting for Cornelia right in front of her.

"PRINCESS CORNELIA!"

* * *

After spraying several bullets at Rayearth in the ravine that she and the Magic Knight are both in, Cornelia was met with a torrent wave of magic coming out of the Red Rune God's sword much to her startled reaction. As she moved her Gloucester, Cornelia dodged the magic wave by a bare inch from her cape to her right, in which the ground exploded, shaking her cockpit a bit.

"What a stubborn Eleven!" Cornelia grunted in frustration for not shaking the Magic Knight off her tail.

As Cornelia turned around to face the exit of the ravine while being chased by Rayearth, she spots another Knightmare on the other side. It was Kallen's Guren.

"I got the message, Guilford." Cornelia said to herself. "It seems that this Magic Knight chased me to a breaking point where the Black Knights will ambush me at."

"Good work, Hikaru!" Kallen muttered silently as she prepared her Knightmare to do battle against Cornelia's Gloucester. "Now its time to have Cornelia face her judgement! You just leave this Britannian witch to me!"

"With pleasure, Kallen!" Hikaru replied as she heard Kallen's voice through her intercom.

* * *

As Suzaku activated his Lancelot before departing into battle, he was given instructions by Cecil and Lloyd.

"Advanced Weapon Systems Online. Use the Sand Panels to climb over the landslide with liquified, maximum combat speed and rescue the Viceroy!"

"Understood, my lord!" Suzaku said acknowledging his orders before hearing Lloyd's question.

"One more thing Suzaku, you hated it when people die yet when you joined the Britannian military, where death takes place in, why did you insist on doing it?!"

"My main purpose in the military is to stop people from killing each other." Suzaku blurted out in a confused tone.

"Beware my friend, your self-contradiction will be the death of you...UGH! CECIL, I'M SORRY!" Lloyd warned Suzaku before getting grabbed by Cecil in the neck.

As the Lancelot's Yggdrasil Drive started spinning, the white Knightmare stretched its legs in a wide position as he placed his left hand on the ground.

"Lancelot! Launching!" Suzaku announced as he started to move his Knightmare out into the battlefield, up the slopes of the landslide.

* * *

"CORNELIA!" Kallen roared as she lunged at the Viceroy's Gloucester head on.

"LOW-BORN SCUM!" Cornelia snarled as she thrusted her lance at the Guren, only for the red Knightmare to turn to her right side and jumped away from the Gloucester's attack.

As soon as the Guren landed right behind the Gloucester, Cornelia launched a Slash Harken above it in order to dodge the Guren's Radium Claw.

"What kind of customized unit is this?!" Cornelia said in shock, while hanging on a cliff wall with her Harken.

Cornelia started hearing a beeping alarm, indicating another unit appeared from behind her. The moment she heard gunfire, Cornelia lowered herself onto the ground to evade enemy fire from behind. It was Zero's Burai shooting Cornelia from above the cliff.

"Can you hear me, Cornelia?!" Zero said, while he smirked. "You are surrounded by my Black Knight Ace and the Magic Knight of Fire. This is checkmate!"

"ZERO!"

"Yes, should we celebrate our reunion?! Of course, you'll have to surrender to us and Clovis first. After that, there are a few questions that I want to ask you. I'll assure you, that your reinforcements will not be able to make it in time! I win, Cornelia!"

"You're a fool, Zero!" Cornelia hissed as she faced the Guren infront of her. "If I can take that Knightmare down, I'll be able to escape that Magic Knight Eleven before she even had the chance to chase me again."

As Cornelia's Gloucester aimed her Assault Rifle at the Guren, it started jumping all over the place to evade the bullets as well as her Slash Harkens with the Guren's Fork Knife.

"YOU GOT SOME MOVES!" Cornelia sneered as she thrusted her lance at the Guren.

However, before Cornelia's lance was able to stab the Guren in the face, it grabbed her weapon with both the Radium Claw and its regular hand. The next thing that happened is when Kallen activated the Radiation Waves from her Radium Claw, in which destroyed the Gloucester's both lance and the hand that was holding onto the weapon. In addition, just as soon as Cornelia raised her Assault Rifle at the Guren, Rayearth appeared right next to her and with just one chop from Hikaru's sword, the Gloucester's gun blew after it was cut in two.

"ARGH!" Cornelia grunted in defeat. "DAMN ELEVEN! ATTACKING FROM MY LEFT!"

As Hikaru held her sword up to the Gloucester's neck, Cornelia just realized that this is the first time that she has met her defeat in battle.

"Is that so?!" Zero grinned at the success both Hikaru and Kallen made on the battlefield. "Even though your attacks don't show acts of cowardice, you're still outnumbered from 2 to 1 against one of my best Black Knight warriors and one of the strongest Magic Knights of Cephiro."

As Cornelia started to lose her ground, the rest of her forces were getting hammered by the JLF's pincer assault, much to Darlton's frustration, unable to regroup with the rest of the Britannian Army.

"We'll never be able to reach the Princess in time!"

For Guilford and the remaining Gloucesters, they hurdled together with their backs behind each other as they see the rest of their Sutherlands get defeated by Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords. Now that the Britannians are cornered from all sides, Tohdoh decided to finish them off with a final attack.

"Lt. Colonel, we crushed the enemy reinforcements!" Katase spoke through Tohdoh's channel.

"Right! Everyone, switch to spinning 'Life or Death' Formation!" Tohdoh ordered as he and the Burais circled around Guilford and his fellow Knights.

"If this keeps up, Princess Cornelia will be..." Guilford thought while sweating nervously under his breath before he started hearing Cornelia's voice through the channel.

"Guilford my Knight, you and Darlton protect Euphy and Clovis!"

"YOUR HIGHNESS!" Guilford shouted as his eyes widened in a panic, fearing that he'll lose his Princess.

"I won't surrender. As an Imperial Princess, I'll fight until I breathe my last!"

"PRINCESS CORNELIA!"

Before either Hikaru or Kallen make their move to finish off Cornelia, they were interrupted by a dirt explosion coming from behind Rayearth. As Hikaru flipped out, removed her blade away from Cornelia's Knightmare, and jumped away from the explosion, she saw a familiar Knightmare that was not expected to show up. It was the Lancelot. Despite the obstacles and the mudflow caused by the recent landslide, the Lancelot was able to blast its way through with high speed before meeting up with Princess Cornelia.

"Reckless as ever, eh?!" Lloyd said while being impressed. "Suzaku used the Lancelot's VARIS to clear the obstacles in his path.

As the Lancelot landed on his two feet, after jumping up high with the use of all four Slash Harkens, Suzaku went to check up on Princess Cornelia.

"Princess, are you alright?! I came here to help you, your highness!"

"Special Corps?! Who authorized you?" Cornelia asked in surprise.

"No way?! It's the Lancelot that was seen back in Cephiro!" Hikaru said under a surprising tone.

"Hey! It's that Knightmare from Shinjuku and Lake Kawaguiche!" Ohgi muttered while inside his Burai.

"IT'S HIM AGAIN?!" Zero snarled in confusion before shouted out orders to the Guren. "MARK 2, DESTROY THAT UNIT, IT'S INTERFERED WITH US ENOUGH!"

As Hikaru unleashed another magic wave from her sword at the Lancelot, it blocked it with an energy shield which is enough to distract him while Kallen goes in for the kill on the White Knightmare.

"Right!" Kallen replied as she charged forward at the Lancelot, dodging ever shot from its VARIS. "YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID BACK AT SHINJUKU!"

"Suzaku, you handle that thing!" Cornelia ordered. "I'll take care of that Magic Knight!"

As the Gloucester fired her two Slash Harkens at Rayearth, Hikaru reacted by raising her shield up with her sword up front while blocking the two anchors. Before Hikaru could fight back, she was met with a ramming Gloucester that's trying to push her backwards. Hikaru started grunted as she struggled to hold her ground against the Britannian Witch, in hopes of shoving her off balance from both of her feet.

For the Lancelot, he fired several more shots with his VARIS at the Guren only for it dodge every single one of them while closing in on Suzaku's position. In one swift, the Lancelot threw a kick with its left leg. Upon impact, the Guren grabbed the Sand Panel with its Radium Claw before showering it with Radiation Waves, blowing it up in the process. When the Guren got closer, the Lancelot shoved it away with its elbow before drawing out one of its MVS.

"It's just as fast as the Lancelot," Suzaku thought after seeing the Guren dodge another shot from his VARIS.

Every time the Guren dodges every shot made from the Lancelot's VARIS, it explodes behind Kallen's Knightmare as it continued to zig-zag across the battlefield before zooming into the white Knightmare.

"As soon as I take that thing down..." Kallen muttered sternly.

In just several meters away from the Guren, the Lancelot hurled the other Sand Panel only for Kallen to whack it away with her Fork Knife. In a heartbeat, the Lancelot sees Guren jump up above him, making him back away further. As soon as the Guren landed on two feet, she swiped her claw at the Lancelot. At the same time, the Lancelot dodged the Guren's Claw and swung his sword at it only for the Guren to lean her face away from the blade. When the Guren tried to swipe her Claw at the Lancelot again, this time the white Knightmare flipped over the Guren after placing both of his hands on the ground before jumping up into the air. While in mid-air, he spun around like spinning top and landed at a mere distance behind the Guren and fired a Slash Harken at her, but not before the Guren blocked it with her Radium Claw.

"Is that all you got?!" Kallen taunted during her fight with the Lancelot.

After doing several more flips and swipes with both of their Knightmare weapons, Kallen's Guren gets a little closer to the ledge, unaware, while the Lancelot finally makes his MVS attack. The Guren blocked the Lancelot's MVS and destroyed it with her Radium Claw. In less than a second, the Lancelot fired his VARIS at the Guren. Again, the Guren blocked the VARIS' shot with her Radium Claw. Unfortunately, after a few seconds of trying to deflect the VARIS' shot, the Guren suddenly fell backwards down the mountain slope, much to Kallen's fright.

"AAAAAUUUUUGGGGHHHH!"

When the Guren landed on both of its legs down the ledge, two Black Knight Burais came by to check up on Kallen.

"Kallen, are you okay?!" Ohgi asked, concerning for the Black Knight ace.

"I am!" Kallen responded positively.

"Ohgi, how's the Guren Mark II?" Zero asked through the channel.

Upon seeing the Guren's Claw spewing out green electricity, Ohgi can only confirmed that the Guren's main weapon is badly damaged.

"The right hand's wrecked; we got to fix it!"

"Retreat! All Black Knights move to your escape points!" Zero announced as he hoisted his Burai up the cliff with his Slash Harkens. "It is now a war of attrition. Retreat!"

Upon hearing Zero's orders, Hikaru disengaged with her fight with Cornelia and teleported herself away from the battlefield. As for Cornelia, her Gloucester collapsed after moving for a few feet. When the Lancelot came by to help Cornelia, the Viceroy issues her orders to Suzaku.

"Suzaku, my energy filler just drained. Go after Zero!"

"Right!" Suzaku acknowledged as he jumped up into the air and disappeared from the screen.

* * *

On the other side of Narita, Hikaru reappeared where Umi and Fuu are at while they were escorting the Black Knights off the battlefield.

"Umi! Fuu! It's time to go! This fight is over for now!" Hikaru told her two best friends.

"We know, Hikaru!" Umi said anxiously. "We heard Zero's orders from both of our intercoms."

As the Magic Knights head to their escape points, Lantis, Lafarga, and Ferio are already there, with all three of their Knightmares intact.

"Hikaru, what happened to Zero?!" Lantis asked the flame knight.

"He'll catch up to us very soon, Lantis," Hikaru responded in a confident tone. "Let's move out!"


	9. Secret Agent from Kyoto

Chapter 8: Secret Agent from Kyoto

As Tamaki and Ohgi headed down to their escape points, one of them was showing concern over the overall from their recent battle with Cornelia's forces, with a crippled Guren accompanying their Burais.

"I'm a little disappointed with retreating!" Tamaki complained.

"At least we did some damage to them directly!" Ohgi summarized.

"Let's face it, Ohgi! We let the JLF deal with Britannia as their bait, giving us some time to make a run for it!" Tamaki smiled out of relief.

"Even so..." Kallen said before Ohgi finished her sentence for her.

"Yeah well, people are treated as if they're in a game of chess! I'm sure Zero wouldn't do that to us, would he? I don't want to believe that he's just using us and the Magic Knights as pawns, just to get Britannia's attention, right?! Due to his rage, Zero hates Britannia just as much as we do!"

* * *

Meanwhile on the other side of the forest near Narita, Zero's Burai was being pursued by the Lancelot from behind despite making his attempt of retreating. As the chase continues, Zero opened fire with his Assault Rifle at the Lancelot only to have both the Burai's arms get decapitated by the Lancelot's Slash Harkens. In return, the Lancelot fired a green projectile at one of the Burai's Landspinners with his VARIS, making it collapse onto its torso. As soon as Zero grabbed his mask, he activated the ejector seat, making his cockpit fly from the exploding Knightmare, plummeting to the ground, and skidded all the way up to a dirt mound. Just when Zero got out of the cockpit, he was met with the Lancelot standing right in front of him, pointing the VARIS directly at the masked figure.

"Special Corps Head Trailer! Going in for capture!" Suzaku announced through his intercom from inside the Lancelot's cockpit. "Zero, even though you saved many people and that they were supporting you from the shadows of Area 11, I still don't believe you're doing the right thing!"

Before either Suzaku or Zero could do anything, they both saw something appear between the two; something that was not expected to show up on the battlefield. It was C.C! As C.C approached the Lancelot, she makes her orders loud and clear in front of the white Knightmare.

"STOP NOW! Don't even think of hurting Zero!"

The moment C.C touched the Lancelot's leg with her left hand and her Geass mark on her head started lighting up, Suzaku started hallucinating through his sub-consciousness. The next thing he saw is that Suzaku sees the ghost of his father right in front of him. Feeling terrified, Suzaku started to panic not knowing what to do anymore. Before he knew it, Suzaku started to feeling scared, confused, and shocked as he sees his father approach him while glaring at Suzaku in anger.

"Father?! No! It can't be; you're already dead! I-I didn't mean to... I just!"

* * *

After Hikaru's friends finished covering her friends' retreat, she started to get a strange feeling after seeing the Lancelot on the battlefield more than once. When she got out of her Rune God to take a breather, in her mind, Hikaru could not help but suspect that whoever is piloting the Lancelot might be from someone very close at school. Before she could do anything, Lantis came by out of his Sutherland and walked up to Hikaru, as he started to express his concerns over the girl he loves.

"Hikaru, are you okay?!" Lantis asked, making the flame-haired knight snap out of her own thoughts.

"Lantis, I...uh..." Hikaru shivered anxiously as she turned to face her Magic Swordsman. "Well, I'm getting a weird feeling about that Lancelot showing up every time we tried to go after the Britannian forces."

"It's alright my dear," Lantis said, trying to calm the Knight of Fire down. "Whoever is piloting the Lancelot, we'll find a way to bring it down together. I'm sure Zero will figure it out; we just have to be patient!"

"Well, I don't understand why would Zero be so late in regrouping with us!" Hikaru continued before she started hearing random firings coming from the trees north of their position. "What's is going on over there?!"

"It may be that Zero is in trouble!" Lantis assumed.

"I'll go get him, then!" Hikaru suggested to herself as she went back inside her Rune God.

"Please be careful, Hikaru!" Lantis said in a worried tone. "The Lancelot might be there as well!"

"I understand!" Hikaru replied as she took off into the air and headed to the source of the firings.

* * *

Suzaku started freaking out after hearing all sorts of screaming and scary imagines flooding in his mind. The next thing that happened is that the Lancelot started shooting randomly all over the place that Zero and C.C are in. Unknown to them, it got Hikaru's attention from a couple of miles south of her position. As Hikaru took off to investigate the noise, she also heard explosions of dirt echoing somewhere in the forest.

For Zero and C.C...

"C.C, what's happening?" Zero asked in shock.

"Get out now...!" C.C shouted before she was met with a sharp rock piercing her chest. "UGH! GET OUT! HURRY!"

Upon getting struck by the explosion, C.C collapsed as she started bleeding from her chest due to wounds way beyond normal. As Zero carried the green-haired girl on her back, they immediately fled from the out-of-control Lancelot. After they disappeared in the forest, the Lancelot continued to keep firing blindly before Rayearth showed up. Upon seeing this, Hikaru felt confused on what is going on with the Lancelot. Not wanting to stand around, Hikaru's hand started emitting a yellow magical orb from her palm and with it, she casted a spell on the White Knightmare, unleashed a yellow ray of light. As a result, the Lancelot started getting zapped from the inside, making the Knightmare collapse onto its knees and then on its torso. For Suzaku, his eyes widened with terror and his teeth clenched in fear as he still held onto his controls with both of his hands but not doing anything. Overall, Hikaru casted a random stun spell on the Lancelot and Suzaku before she moved on.

"I don't know what just happened here, but I still have to find Zero before Cornelia and her men do!" Hikaru said to herself before taking off into the sky again.

* * *

After disengaging with Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords, Guilford still couldn't stop thinking about Princess Cornelia's safety even after she was saved by Suzaku and the Lancelot. As Guilford fled the battlefield to help the Viceroy, Cornelia makes her announcement from her channel to have him relay her message to all remaining Britannian Forces.

"All units, prepare to retreat! There's no reason to waste the lives of anymore men here. Stay in formation and fall back cautiously! We all have to face the fact; for the first time in my campaign, we have been defeated!"

* * *

As the sunsets above the Black Knights and Cephiro's warriors, they all started cheering due to their victory against Cornelia and her forces.

"Since Britannia has its hands full with the JLF and the Magic Knights, they sure had it all coming, didn't they?!" Tamaki said as he congratulating Umi and Fuu.

"Thanks to them, we all had the chance to escape!" Ohgi smiled.

"Say, where's Hikaru and Zero?" Kallen said showing concern over the Fire Knight and the Black Knight leader. "I can't contact his Burai or her Rune God. You don't think they've been captured, do you?"

"Ms. Kallen, I'm afraid Ms. Hikaru went back to the area to find Mr. Zero!" Fuu said informing Kallen up front.

"Are you sure she can handle this?!" Kallen asked, concerning over Hikaru's safety.

"We know Hikaru, she can be reckless with her fights sometimes, but her devotion is very unquestionable!" Umi added. "She'll met up with us back at base as soon as she finds Zero!"

"I understand!" Kallen said as she looked down before taking a breather.

* * *

Back at the G-1 Base, Cornelia and Guilford disembarked their Knightmares inside the hanger and walked down with Prince Clovis in the hallways while discussing the results of their defeat.

"So Zero escaped again!" Cornelia summarized with what Guilford told her.

"When the JLF fought back and shattered our defenses, Zero slipped away during the confusion while the Magic Knights and the Elevens covered his retreat."

"How despicable. To think that he'll use the JLF and the Magic Knight Elevens to cover up his movements," Cornelia thought. "What happened to Warrant Officer Kururugi?!"

"When I went to secure Suzaku, he went berserk with his Lancelot until that red Rune God casted some sort of stun ability on him and collapsed on the ground before she fled back into the forest," Guilford added. "He's safe, for now!"

"Such a failure unworthy of being part of our forces!" Clovis said in disgust. "I still don't understand why would our sister even cared about that Honorary Britannian, he's still an Eleven anyway."

"But hey, you should be thankful that Suzaku saved my life back there when those two Eleven pilots almost finished me off from both my front and my rear." Cornelia said, referring to Suzaku's positive actions.

"What do you mean by two Elevens?" Guilford asked, confused.

"I heard that the Magic Knight inside Rayearth said that she was actually an Eleven too, just like the Black Knights are," Cornelia assumed.

"Does that mean those Magic Knights might all be female Elevens trying to rebel against us?!" Clovis asked with his eyes widened with surprise.

"It's possible, yes. But we still don't know their names yet!" Cornelia said, acknowledging Clovis theory. "We'll sent Viletta Nu to investigate this matter further before we will go in and capture those Magic Knights."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the other side of a town near Narita, which was undamaged by the recent landslide, a truck was making its way down the road when all of a sudden, a wounded Britannian Purist Member was trudging across while holding his injured right eye with his right hand while clutching on a 15ft tall stick. It was Jeremiah Gottwald who is barely alive after his previous defeat by Kallen and her Guren. As the truck stopped in front of Jeremiah, the driver started honking on his horn, telling the Purist member to move his ass off the street.

"I-I swear, I'm not orange!" Jeremiah wheezed as he turned toward the truck before he collapsed in front of it. "ZERO!"

* * *

Back at Narita, Zero fled into a dark cave to treat C.C of her injuries after dealing with the Lancelot. As soon as she wakes up, Zero was surprised that due to C.C's immortal state, she cannot die from wounds that are beyond normal, whether it is getting shot in the head or impaled by a sharp object. She still gets up after a few minutes of being unconscious. In Zero's point of view, there is some thing about C.C that are inhuman because she can actually recover from wounds that no one else could. To make matters even more stranger, the green-haired girl doesn't always go by the name of C.C. However, Zero never mentioned anyone else her real name, as he decided to keep it all a secret.

After a few hours from recovery, Zero fired a flare gun outside of the cave. From a couple of miles away, Hikaru spotted the flare coming from a medium distance somewhere at Narita. As soon as she landed her Rune God at the source of the signal, Hikaru spotted Zero appear before her, along with the mysterious girl that was accompanying him for a while back. Hikaru disembarked from her Rune God before checking up on Zero.

"Zero, are you okay?! The others went on ahead and..."

When Hikaru took a good look at C.C, she started feeling puzzled on what that mysterious girl is up to.

"Uh Zero, is that the girl who..." Hikaru asked before Zero answered her question.

"Yes, she's an important friend of mine! Not too worry, she also informed me about what you and your Eleven friends are usually up to in Cephiro." Zero responded before facing C.C. "I don't know why snow is white, but I think it is beautiful."

"I see." C.C responded peacefully.

"Let's go guys, we have to make our way back to base without attracting any attention." Hikaru told Zero.

Upon hearing Hikaru's suggestions, Zero accompanied her back to her Rune God. As soon as Hikaru embarked inside Rayearth, Zero and C.C went up to Rayearth's hand and stood on top his shoulder before flying away before disappearing into the night sky.

* * *

Several days after the battle at Narita, the Britannians confirmed that most of the JLF were wiped out and that they're concentration on going after the survivors from the battlefield. However, because of Britannia's losses over Cornelia's army, she could not help but show concern over the death of so many of her soldiers at Narita. To make matters worse, the officials at the Britannian Government Bureau also claim that the Black Knights' actions at Narita also gave most of the Elevens more confidence in fighting back; not to mention that the Black Knights and their supporters took over the subways in Area 11, due to Clovis' lack of control at Shinjuku Getto and for his failure of capturing Zero and the Magic Knights, much to the 3rd Prince's fear and anguish.

"As the rebellions spreads unchallenged, we lost control in most of the areas at Shinjuku and all-around that city!" One of the representatives informed.

"If only we were able to get close to those wretched Magic Knights..." Clovis muttered in annoyance.

"I'd say we try to send in Cornelia's forces to block all subway systems and flush out those wretched traitors all at once!" Another Representative suggested.

"However, we don't have the budget to carry out such decisions as this!" The 3rd Representative protested.

"Are you kidding me?!" The 4th representative snapped in denial. "The terrorists are using the subways as their strike bases and escape points. We can't let them get away with this."

"Well, if we keep pushing them like that, they'll eventually start fighting back like there's no tomorrow!" Clovis added in. "It will also encourage the Chinese Federation and Cephiro's Alliance to gain another chance to attack us! Did you guys get the data that we sent you about the Magic Knights defending Cephiro against us?!"

"Yes, well we still don't know their strengths and weaknesses yet!" The 3rd Representative said in disappointment. "If the armies of Cephiro enter in our world, there will be chaos when the Black Knights pave way to them before fighting against us in this 3-way uprising!"

"They already had their excuse. Since the Magic Knights still remain at large, Zero and the Black Knights get stronger everyday as part of their allegiance!" Cornelia informed the Britannian Representatives.

"Viceroy, I received intel from Narita that a group of Elevens were self-governing Area 11; they're known as the NAC!" Darlton explained to Cornelia and the representatives. "Unfortunately, most of the documents and evidence revolving around the NAC are buried underneath the landslide."

Upon hearing what Darlton said, Cornelia felt puzzled about where to go at. Until the Britannian Minister protested that their is no evidence for the rumors that the General is elaborating. He also states that if the NAC is taken down, it may cost the Elevens their economy as well as losing their tax revenue being sent to the Britannian Homeland.

"Did any of you find any intel on where can we find the Black Knights and the Magic Knights?!" Cornelia asked intensely.

"After unearthing the area at Narita, we believed that Zero is behind the incident at Narita. Though, we can't find any information from our dead soldiers." Minister explained, much to Cornelia's and Clovis' disappointment over his incompetence.

* * *

After making their way back to their underground HQ, Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, and Kallen stored their battle gear and their mechs in a safe, hidden place before heading back to the Ashford Academy to start another day in studying. As for Shirley, she could not stop thinking about what has ever become of Lelouch when Kallen first attended the school. In the student council office, President Milly is starting to show concern over Shirley while looking at her envelope.

"Hey Shirley, is something wrong?!" Milly asked as she looked over her laptop to face Shirley. "Are you constipated over something else?!"

"Well uh, no I-I," Shirley protested in embarrassment.

"Oh I get it, you're lonely because Lelouch keeps disappearing isn't he?!" Milly assumed, making the orange-haired girl blush.

"I don't understand why Kallen and Hikaru are both absent on the same day he is!" Shirley said in a depressing tone of voice.

"Well, Suzaku is also out for two days because of what happened at Narita!" Milly added. "The Magic Knights also struck again, this time they fought Cornelia's forces without holding back; it's as if they're fight with such relentless, unpredictable methods!"

"I know, but with those two women and LuLu gone on the same day? That's ridiculous. It's as if he doesn't care about me anymore and just started flirting with more women out there, leaving me all alone without a care in the world!" Shirley complained, while Milly said giggling out of amusement.

As Milly got out of the table, she started to embarrass Shirley even more by spouting out all more romantic, flirtious speeches in front of her face, making Shirley blush out of annoyance. The next thing that happen is when Milly started laughing out loud while Shirley stood there unable to do anything else but stare at the ground.

"Even at school, we should prepare for our future as well because nothing will stay the same for long you know!" Milly suggested. "Well, just don't take any of it too seriously. If it's still bothering you, why don't you go talk to Lelouch or Hikaru for once to see what they're both really up to?!"

As Shirley looked up to face Milly again, the Madam President turned to face her right. When the door slid open, Lelouch appears right in between Milly and Shirley, much to Shirley's surprise.

"Lulu! I thought you were absent. And where's Hikaru?!" Shirely said, shockingly.

"She has some more things to take care of outside of the school and wants me to go on ahead!" Lelouch explained nonchalantly as he approached the table. "Nunnally is running a fever and Sayako was busy so I stayed home to help."

In the student Council, Lelouch is proclaimed as the vice-president working alongside Milly Ashford during his School years in the Ashford Academy. As Milly carried out task for Lelouch to do, he accidentally took Shirley's envelope which is on top of the papers that he made off with before leaving the Council Office. The moment Lulu left the office, Shirley noticed that her tickets are missing. Without sitting around, Shirely left the office to get her tickets back from the vice-president.

"LULU WAIT!" Shirley shouted in a panic while running down the halls to catch up Lelouch at the school's main entrance. "Stop Lulu, don't leave me behind! LULU!"

"What is it Shirley?" Lelouch asked, being dumbfounded.

"Is my tabs mixed up with your papers?!" Shirley said, exhaustedly.

"Oh, I had no idea! Sorry about that!" Lelouch said as he handed Shirely's tickets back to her.

* * *

Inside the school library at night after school hours, Zazu invited Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu to a private computer room that they have reserved a few days ago by the approval of the librarian. As soon as they went inside, Hikaru locked the door behind them while Umi and Fuu closed all the windows and drapes around them. After the room is secured, Zazu turns on the computer and inserts his jump drive to look at the files that he has uncovered from the Britannian Empire. In just one minute, the main screen reveals a smaller screen that displays the overview of a large complex that shows Britannian flags posted in the courtyard, with one huge Britannian Emblem shown on the floor. Up ahead of the flags and the floor emblem, there is another building made out of blue, silhouette walls. It is known as the Britannian Government Bureau. Before any of the Magic Knights undercover as Ashford students could say anything, Zazu starts explaining what he also learned from the Holy Britannian Empire.

"Okay guys, what you all see before you is the Britannian Government Bureau of Area 11, located in the Tokyo Settlement! From all the sources and data I've gathered, the Britannians are using the Sakuradite that they have harvested from Mount Fuji, to harness electronic energy to power up a huge gateway that is leading back to Cephiro. It is shown on the left side of the Bureau's main building!"

"I know what you're thinking, Hikaru!" Umi said sternly at the knight of Fire. "But we need to carefully plan this out with Zero first before we could strike at them."

"You've got a point there, Umi!" Zazu said before continuing with his personal speech. "That place will be crawling with not just Britannian soldiers, but also another special task force called the Glaston Knights. They'll be lead by General Darlton if their situation becomes critical because of us and the Black Knights."

"So if the time comes, we'll strike down from the skies while the Black Knights keep them all at bay?" Fuu asked.

"Why of course, Fuu. However, we still have yet to wait for reinforcements from the NSX and from the rest of Cephiro's Unified army!" Zazu acknowledged. "I've received word that Geo and Rakshata are developing some C4 explosives on board the NSX. As soon as our battleship arrives above the skies in Area 11, one of us needs to plant the explosive charges on the gateway during the final battle against Britannia. We'll set off the charges with our detonator onboard the NSX once we evacuated Area 11 through Cephiro, along with as many Black Knights and our forces as much as possible."

"Do you think Mr. Zero will get all of this down when the time comes?" Fuu asked with determination.

"Well, one of us needs to distract the Lancelot and Viceroy Cornelia first before setting up the charges at the gateway!" Zazu suggested. "Their defenses will activate if we get too close to them while going on foot. Our only option is to fly above the Bureau during the confusion."

"But what about those who weren't able to reach our escape point in time?" Umi asked in a worried tone. "Even if we did manage to secure the Bureau, Cornelia may request reinforcements from the other areas outside of Area 11."

"We may have two hours to do this before then," Zazu said to Umi.

Before anyone could say anymore, Hikaru's cellphone started beeping from the inside of her pocket. As soon as she picked it up, Hikaru notices that the caller is none other than Zero. Just when she held it up to her ear, Zero started speaking to her while Umi, Fuu, and Zazu listened very closely to what the masked hero has to say.

"Hikaru, we received an invitation from the Kyoto group, requesting a direct meeting with you, me and the rest of the command staff of the Black Knights. They promised us power to cover up all finances when recruiting people to join the Black Knights, as well as giving with intel about Britannia from within. Meet us next morning at out base. We'll be waiting for you there!"

"Understood, Zero," Hikaru said, complying with Zero's request.

"Are you sure he doesn't want the rest of us to meet up with the Kyoto group as well, Ms. Hikaru?" Fuu asked, concerning over one of her best friends.

"We don't want to get anyone our attention, Fuu. So, by going with them, it may bring less heat from the public. I'll just use my pillar magic to hide myself and Rayearth while going around Area 11," Hikaru said in a confident tone.

"Just try to be careful out there!" Zazu told Hikaru. "There's no telling what this Kyoto group is planning for us!"

When Hikaru went outside and summoned her Rune God outside of the School Library during nightfall, Rayearth appeared in silence as Hikaru casted an invisibility spell over him before embarking. As soon as she went inside her Rune God, Hikaru flew off into the night sky unable to see herself during her flight.

* * *

Earlier in the morning, Zero hitched a ride in a black limousine along with Kallen, Tamaki, and Ohgi. As they headed for Mt. Fuji, they were accompanied by an invisible Rayearth. Despite Hikaru flying above them undetected, she was able to quietly announce her presence in front of Zero before they moved on ahead. Unfortunately, Tamaki is getting restless while inside the vehicle.

"Man, this is taking too long. How much further?"

"Stop your whining, Tamaki! You're embarrassing," Kallen said in annoyance.

"W-What the hell?!" Tamaki startled as he felt a bit of rumble coming from outside of the limousine.

The next thing that happened is when their limousine started going up the elevator. After it stopped, the driver came out and opened the door to let Zero and his commanders out of the vehicle.

"Sorry it took so long." The driver apologized. "The Master is waiting for you."

As soon as Zero, Tamaki, Kallen, and Ohgi came out of the vehicle, they also heard another thump right behind them, startling a drive a bit. The sound came from none other than Rayearth, who finally came out of his invisibility spell and stood in a calm posture. When the three Black Knights turned to face the window, Tamaki came up to it only to see a large, wide view of the Fuji mines down below, much to his shock.

"Is this the Fuji mines?!" Ohgi exclaimed in surprise.

"This is not possible!" Tamaki said in denial. "How could we even be here?!"

"It has to be Mount Fuji!" Kallen said trying to confirm the place that they're in. "There's only one mountain ever to exist in all of Japan."

"You mean the Sakuradite is actually below us, the very same resources that made Britannia declare war here?" Tamaki asked in shock. "They'll execute all intruders here!"

"The Kyoto Group must be amazing to hide in a place like this, as well as keeping their power all the way to here!" Ohgi thought before the room turned into dark-red, prevent anyone from seeing outside of the building.

"It's repulsive!" The mysterious man spoke behind Ohgi, Tamaki, Kallen, and Zero.

As all four people and the Rune God turned around, they see a man sitting in a criss-cross position while hiding behind a curtain that is covering up his face. In both of his hands, the unknown man is carrying a wooden staff. Two guards dressed in tuxedos and black glasses stood in-between the man. The mysterious man continued to speak through the curtains.

"Mount Fuji is a sacred mountain that used to be known for its clear water and beautiful serenity. But now it is bent to the Britannian Empire's will, where they turned that place into a hideous violation. It hurts me to the core of my very soul. I apologize for not showing my face, but I see that your face is hidden as well, along with the unidentified knight from the New World. You will both show me your true identities because therefore, I want to see if I can trust you both to bring down the evil Empire.!"

When the mysterious man pointing his staff at the Rune God and Zero, four of Kyoto's Knightmares appeared from both sides of the room that they're in, all armed to the teeth with their assault rifles. Without hesitation, Kallen steps in front of Zero, trying to defend him against the mysterious man's doubts.

"Please wait, everyone! Zero and the Magic Knights gave power to achieve victory over Britannia and..."

"SILENCE!" The man snarled. "Which one of you is Ohgi?!"

"Here!" Ohgi spoke, announcing his presence to the man behind the curtain.

"You remove Zero's mask and have the pilot come out of that strange Knightmare!" The man ordered.

As Ohgi removed Zero's mask, it reveals to be none other than Lantis, the magic swordsman of Cephiro but this time without his black armor and cape. Upon seeing this, the four Black Knights were all shocked that he isn't Japan or Britannian.

"Lantis?!" Tamaki exclaimed. "Why are you...?"

"It's not Zero at all, guys!" Kallen explained. "This man is a native warrior from Cephiro: Sir Lantis the Magic Swordsman. Several Cephirian natives are helping the Magic Knights and our people in saving Japan from Britannia. He's also the one who is aiding Lady Hikaru on the battlefield at Narita back then."

"Is this true, Sir Lantis?" The man asked. "If so, then what do you speak of this Lady Hikaru of the Magic Knights?!"

"It is! Hikaru happens to be a very important friend of mine!" Lantis spoke in calm voice. "We have both came a long way and have been given a great honor, she and I. Since she helped save my homeland from destruction, I'll do whatever it takes to save hers in return. I'm sure you're also risking everything to achieve such a dream. Isn't that right, Taizo Kirihara?"

Upon hearing the identity of the man behind the curtain, both of his guards were startled as they attempted to draw out their guns.

"Anyone who can identify the man's name must die, regardless of what country or world they're from!" One of the guards snarled.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Tamaki shrieked, along with the shocked Black Knights. "I've got nothing to do with this, honest!"

Before any of Taizo's guards or their Knightmares could fire any shots at the Black Knights or Rayearth, the Rune God summoned a magical light screen that temporarily blinded the guards. At the same time, one of the Knightmares fired its Slash Harkens at the other two on sight, disabling them both simultaneously and knocked the last one that was right next to him with a Stun Tonfa. Just as the guards regained their eye sight , the rogue Knightmare went up to the front with its Assault Rifle pointing at them. As soon as the cockpit opened up, the real Zero came out.

"You're soft and your methods and thinking are outdated, that's why you'll never win!" Zero spoke in a stern voice.

The moment they saw Zero appear, Lantis smirked while the Black Knights were all standing there completely stunned. For Taizo, he clenched onto his staff while grunting underneath his breath after hearing Zero's speech.

"When did he? How did that Knightmare?" The guard asked, while under confusion not knowing what to do anymore.

Just when one of the guards pointed his gun at Zero, the second guard ordered him not to make any sudden movements because he noticed that Zero could still fire the Knightmare's weapons with a separate remote. As Zero landed on his two feet, he approached Taizo and announced his background fearlessly, with both the hijacked Knightmare and Rayearth blocking the Black Knight's line of sight.

"Taizo Kirihara, founder of the Kirihara Industries that is known for Monpolizing Sakuradite Mines and Former Key Member and Supporter of the Kururugi Regime until Japan fell. When Japan was taken over by Britannia, you evaded their presence by collaborating with Japan's Colonial Rulers. Now is known as Kirihara the traitor. In truth, you were one of the leaders of the six Kyoto Houses, the resistance groups in Japan and a double agent."

"ENOUGH!" One of the Guards shouted in anger for letting Zero defile his leader out in the open. "SHOW SOME RESPECT TO THE BOSS, YOU SCUMBAG!"

"Stop! All of you!" Kirihara ordered his guards.

"As for me, Kirihara, I'm not actually Japanese!" Zero said, clarifying his ethnicity.

"What?!" The Black Knights muttered in unison. "Does that mean he's actually a Britannian, seriously?"

"Well, that is one reason why Zero will not show his face!" Hikaru explained to the Black Knights while still inside her Rune God.

"If you're not Japanese, then why do you fight for them as the leader of the Black Knights?! And why did you recruited Lady Hikaru and the Magic Knights to fight for your cause?!" Kirihara asked in a serious grunt.

"I wish to see the destruction of Britannia!" Zero answered.

"And to free Cephiro from suffering from any further wars!" Hikaru announced as she finally came out of her Rune God, followed by a red light shinning from Rayearth's center orb.

The moment Hikaru Shidou appeared before Kirihara and his associates, they couldn't believe that one of the Magic Knights is actually a young girl in her mid-teens. This time, she had her red cape covering herself, with her right arm and shoulder plate being exposed. Upon seeing them in person, Hikaru stood there undaunted and fierce beyond all emotions. Before anyone could say anything, Kirihara is able to refer Hikaru back all the way to her childhood before she became who she is right now.

"I know you! You used to be one of the top students at the Shidou Kendo school rivaling against Tohdoh's students 10 years ago."

"Yeah that's right, Lord Kirihara!" Hikaru spoke calm as she acknowledged the Kyoto agent's revelations.

"You've grown quite into an elegant young woman, Hikaru!" Kirihara added. "Though, I never thought you'd actually do more than just display an attraction through such a lovely appearance, even through your sparring with Suzaku Kururugi!"

"It was nothing," Hikaru smiled as her face made a small blush on her cheeks. "I was grateful that after the invasion, you were able to let me and my brothers live with you to help rebuild our Kendo School after Britannia took away my mother and father to serve under them as their slaves in exchange for our lives. And now, this may be my only chance to repay you."

"I see," Kirihara said in relief. "So, what path do you wish to take as a Knight serving under a country that's not your own?!"

"I choose to go down a path where I can fight for what I believe in and to serve and protect my family and all the people that supported us and my fellow Magic Knights!" Hikaru answered with full determination. "By doing so, I was able to grant myself powers that are way beyond Britannia's comprehension and a living weapon that is similar to that of a Knightmare Frame."

"Then, it seems that you have finally grown up before anyone in Japan even knew it," Kirihara grinned. "I can't say that I'm disappointed. HAHAHAHAHAHA! I'm sure that your brothers and your parents will be very proud of you for what you have become."

"Yes, but I don't want them to know about what I've been through yet; Not until when the time comes!" Hikaru suggested to herself, despite being flattered by Kirihara's speech.

"That's fine with me, Lady Hikaru!" Kirihara said. "Now then, I must speak with Zero next, if you please?!"

"Yes, my lord!" Hikaru acknowledged as she took a bow before making way between Kirihara and Zero.

"Now Zero, do you believe that you can put an end the Britannia Empire with the aid of Lady Hikaru of the Magic Knights?!"

"I can because I have reasons that compel me without any doubt!" Zero said with full confidence as he took off his helmet with both of his hands. "I'm actually glad that I'm dealing with you. It's been a long time, Lord Kirihara!"

"No way, is that really you?!" Kirihara said as his eyes widened when seeing Zero's true face behind his curtain. "It's been eight years since you and your sister were brought before the Kururugi Family, with both received as hostages."

"Yes, I was grateful that you were taking care of me, Hikaru, and her brothers during that time too," Lelouch spoke with satisfaction.

"If I wasn't able to meet you and Lady Hikaru tonight, will you both be planning to take the messengers of Kyoto as hostages?!"

"Of course not, we came for a request to aid us in the battles that lie ahead in Cephiro and in Area 11!" Hikaru answered.

"So, the flower planted years ago has finally started blooming!" Kirihara laughed. "Hikaru! Ohgi! I believe that this man known as Zero is really a true enemy of Britannia. I urge you both to keep his face hidden at all times. In return, I'll deliver you two intelligence and strategic support on the battlefield against the Britannian Empire."

"Yes, my Lord!" Ohgi and Hikaru both responded in positive unison.

"Thank you, Lord Kirihara!" Zero said, accepting Kirihara's complements before putting his mask back on.

"One more thing, Zero!" Kirihara said before asking Zero one last question while raising his curtain to see him. "By obliterating Britannia, are you heading towards the path of blood?!"


	10. Shirley Grief, Discovery, and Confusion

Chapter 9: Shirley's Grief, Discovery, and Confusion

After the battle at the Narita Mountains, a catastrophe occurred at a nearby city south of the mountains. When the Black Knights and Zero caused a rigged landslide, not only did it decimated most of Darlton's and Alex's Britannian soldiers, it also caused the death of over a thousand people in that city.

As for Suzaku, he was standing outside of the morgue tent while drinking a bottle of water while his Lancelot was being resupplied and repaired from his recent fight with the Guren. Before he knew it, Lloyd comes up to Suzaku to check up on him while the rest of the medical staff are scrambling for orders in recovering the bodies from the landslide.

"Digging up bodies from the landslide, are we?!"

"I'm here to carry out this recovery operation here in Narita!" Suzaku said, answering Lloyd's question.

"Well, be my guest and consider it to be Cornelia's pleasure to indulge you!" Lloyd smirked.

"Lloyd, I can't help but wonder what are the Magic Knights and the Black Knights are trying to achieve here after sacrificing so many harmless civilians?" Suzaku asked, concerning over their reckless actions.

"I thought for sure that both knightly groups fight for justice!" Lloyd assumed.

"How can this be justice?!" Suzaku growled, realizing that his enemies caused a huge mistake during their assault at Narita.

"This is a war after all and they happened to be enemy soldiers that shouldn't be underestimated on the battlefield!" Lloyd informed the Honorary Britannian.

As Suzaku looked up, he sees Shirley Fennette, Mrs. Fennette, and Viletta Nu march forward across from where he was standing. When the two women entered in one of the medical tents, they came up to one of the bodies wrapped up inside a body bag. As one of the Britannian Marines approached the body in front of Shirley and her mother, the body revealed to be none other than Joseph Fennette, Shirley's Father. Upon seeing him totally lifeless, Shirley and her mother could not help but cry their hearts out. For a long time, Shirley's father usually goes to work in a place far away from where Shirley is at. Throughout her younger years, Shirley receives stuff from her father so that she'll know that he is doing fine. For most of his time, Joseph works as a research scientist that is working on a project called Code-R which is strictly classified. Because of his work, Joseph never had the chance to evacuate Narita before the assault occurred, along with the landslide that the Black Knights have caused. Despite being away, Joseph always cared about Shirley and her mother for a very long time.

For Viletta, she was still carrying out her investigation revolving around Lelouch Lamperouge and Hikaru Shidou. Ever since she ran into Lelouch at the Shinjuku Getto, Viletta could not remember what happened there after she got off her Sutherland before investigating the area around the young Britannian student. However, Viletta is still having a probable cause that Lelouch might have a connection with the Black Knights. For Hikaru, Viletta still had a bit of a dislike towards the young female Eleven ever since she was transferred to the Ashford Academy, much to the dismay of the rest of the Britannian students. However, ever since Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were forced to see their parents get sent away to slavery under the Britannian Empire, their family wealth and their private educational background was still enough to have them get accepted into the Britannian School, so that they won't be put to slavery as well. Unfortunately, Viletta is still finding Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu acting very suspicious due to the fact that their is still walking around fearlessly and putting up quite a fight thanks to the training they have from Kendo, Archery, and Fencing by relying on their instincts and their makeshift weaponry they find on the streets. She even heard rumors that those three female Elevens have been cursed from the inside by a mysterious force not of this world. Ever since Viletta ran into the Magic Knights' Rune Gods and lost twice, she may also have a good reason that Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu might have a connection to the Magic Knights. So, by the order of Princess Cornelia, Viletta is sent to investigate Hikaru's background, along with Lelouch's background, prompting her to disengage from using her Knightmare with useless efforts.

As Viletta snapped out of her thoughts, she sees Mrs. Fennette sobbing on top Mr. Fennette's chest uncontrollably while Shirley placed her hand on her mother's shoulder to comfort her during her grieving.

Meanwhile outside of the music theater, Lelouch shows up with an umbrella over his head. While exiting the theater, Lelouch is wondering why would Shirley would be so late to meet up with him at the concert. After making a failed attempt of calling Shirley over the cellphone, Lelouch walks his way through the courtyard and going over the operations that he made with the Black Knights and Cephiro's Magic Knights. Suddenly, in front of him, Lelouch spots Shirley Fennette drenched in the rain, looking down on herself in behind a clock post. As Lelouch came up to her and offered his umbrella, he apologized for the delay, when all of a sudden, Shirley looks up only to show tears coming out of her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I thought you'd be back home by now," Lelouch apologized calmly. "Never mind that. Let's go to someplace safe and out of the rain."

"Lulu tell me, did Zero and Magic Knights really fight for the weak and for the people they care about?" Shirley asked, faintly.

"Yes, why?!" Lelouch asked confusingly.

"Then why? Why did they kill my father?" Shirley whimpered.

"W-What?" Lelouch muttered in horror.

"My father, Jospeh Fennette!" Shirley sobbed. "He was so gentle; HE NEVER DID ANYTHING WRONG! They said he was buried alive back at Narita. H-He couldn't breathe! WHY? WHY DID MY FATHER HAVE TO DIE?"

As Shirley sobbed, she dropped her purse and embraced Lelouch while letting her tears continue to flow endlessly. Little did she know that Lelouch was Zero. Despite that, she ended up kissing him out of sorrow. Upon hearing what Shirley just said, Lelouch stood there in shock not even thinking that his landslide plan as Zero actually backfired, killing not just Cornelia's soldiers, but also innocent lives at Narita. After realizing that Shirley's father was accidentally made a perfect example of, Lelouch wasn't able to come up with any words to say at Shirley anymore other than just one sentence in his head.

"What have I done?!" Lelouch thought.

"Please Lulu, help me!" Shirley whimpered.

* * *

The next day, at Joseph's funeral, the Magic Knights and Kallen heard about the news of Shirley's father's untimely demise from both Lelouch and from Shirley. Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu could not believe that their actions of attacking Cornelia and her forces came with massive consequences. They may have been able to save most of the people in Cephiro from getting killed, despite losing Eagle and Presea. Unfortunately, since they're not fighting their enemies in Cephiro this time, it's going to be a lot more harder to avoid killing innocent lives.

As a matter of fact, the Magic Knights are facing an even more different battlefield experience in Japan than in Cephiro. A part of Hikaru ended up blaming herself again for killing an person that was related to another. The last time when she killed a person unaware that he had a younger sibling was when Hikaru faced Zagato in battle at Cephiro, not knowing that Lantis was his brother until her second visit; the same thing goes for Prince Ferio and his elder sister Princess Emeraude. Lantis and Ferio may have forgave Hikaru due to the fact that Zagato brought this sin upon himself and that he just wanted to be with Princess Emeraude, but with Shirley and her father is a very different matter. Hikaru feared that if Shirely found out that Lelouch was Zero and that she was one of the Magic Knights, the people that caused this accidental tragedy, things will get even more nastier than just getting plunged into another fight with Britannia's forces. It might be possible that Shirely may turn her and Zero over to the authorities for her father's murder or that she might find a way to get revenge on both of them, despite not being a good fighter.

As they continued with Joseph's funeral, the eulogy announces his partings towards Shirley's father while several men and women dressed in black, along with Shirley and her mother. For Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Kallen, Lelouch, Rivalz, and Suzaku, they were still wearing school uniforms at the funeral. After the eulogy finishes his speech, they buried Joseph's coffin with their shovels. For Shirley's mother, she started grieving even more after her husband was buried.

"NO STOP! DON'T BURY HIM AGAIN, PLEASE!" Mrs. Fenette wailed as she placed both of her hands on her husband's grave. "HE'S SUFFERED ENOUGH! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME, JOSEPH!"

As they see Shirley comfort her somber mother, the three Elevens, Milly, Nina, Kallen, Suzaku, and Lelouch stood there with shadows over their faces in depression. They all went silent until Shirley left her mother and walked up to them.

"We're so sorry to hear what happened to your father, Shirley," Hikaru said, sympathizing with the female Britannian. "We didn't know he was at Narita when that landslide occurred."

"There's no need to apologize, Hikaru," Shirley calmly said in denial.

"Ever since I saw you on TV during that Hotel Jacking, I thought for sure that the Black Knights are heroes fighting for justice!" Rivalz thought. "If those Magic Knights were defending the inhabitants of the New World, then why would they let those Black Knights and Zero get away with causing such a catastrophe? I thought for what those knightly groups did at Narita was really cool, except for the aftermath."

"Don't be silly, Rivalz!" Shirley said as she walked up to her classmates. "There's no need to get all worked up with the previous news out there."

"Shirley, please!" Milly said as she put her hand onto Shirley's shoulder. "Seriously, I know you're still sad from the inside. I mean, you're starting to worry the lot of us and that you're still crying from the inside, right?!"

"Yeah, I already cried a lot last night!" Shirley said truthfully.

"I can't believe those two knightly groups!" Suzaku hissed. "They all act like a bunch of cowards! Zero, his people, and Cephiro's Magic Knights! How could they pull off such crazy methods as this?"

In Suzaku's speech, he is still referring them during the battle back at Narita.

"I bet Zero is doing this to get their hands dirty; he stirs people into a frenzy and drives both worlds into chaos! While they unleash hell, Zero just sits back and laughs his head off as if he's just using them all. I think all their efforts are meaningless."

Upon hearing what Suzaku just said, Kallen and the disguised Magic Knights couldn't help but feel bad for letting an entire city suffer because of the landslide that they unleashed upon the Britannians at Narita. As they all stared at Suzaku speechless, Milly continues her conversation with Shirley before moving on.

"I'm pretty sure that it's time to head back to school everyone. Shirley, we'll be waiting for you at the student council okay?!"

* * *

As everyone but Shirley left the grave, the Magic Knights met up with Zazu, Lantis, Lafarga, and Ferio at the Bakery. After Hikaru told them about the aftermath, the three Cephirian warriors and Autozamian were all shocked that the Black Knight's negligence has caused unnecessary losses upon innocent people. As Zazu appeared before Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, the two swordsman and the Cephirian Prince are all disguised in regular civilian clothing to hide their identities from the rest of the Elevens and the Britannians. Lantis is wearing a normal black long sleeve shirt, black pants, and grey tennis shoes, only this time he doesn't have his golden circlet around his head. Lafarga is wearing a green tank top with urban camo pants and brown combat boots. As for Ferio, he is wearing a brown leather jacket with a green T-shirt, white khaki pants, and white sneakers. Zazu is now seen wearing a small green cap, a blue jacket with a white T-shirt, green pants, and brown, grey shoes. As they all sit down across from Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu, they started to discuss the aftermath of the battle at Narita.

"Man, I can't believe that we let those Black Knights committed such reckless actions as this!" Zazu muttered as he referred it to the battle back at Narita.

"Well, you're going to have to face the facts, Zazu Torque!" Lantis told the young mechanic. "We're in a whole new world right now and we're facing a new kind of war; a war that takes place in the Magic Knights' homeland. It's no different than what happened to Eagle three years ago in Cephiro."

"Lantis is right, kiddo!" Lafarga added in. "I've been in the Cephirian Military for over 5 years. Because of that, I've seen worse than just a landslide that claimed the lives of more than a thousand people. What I learned from being in the military is this: if you want to survive out there, you have to follow orders whether it is kill or be killed. There can be no alternatives, just grim risks!"

"I know what you're getting at Lafarga, they forced our parents to work for the Britannian Imperial Family in exchange for the lives and freedom of me and my friends, as well as keeping our education at our other private schools. If it weren't for that, Umi, Fuu, and I would all be slaves instead of warriors fighting for our lives and for our happiness." Hikaru said, elaborating over what Lafarga is summarizing. "I did felt guilty for killing Shirley's father though..."

"Think nothing of it, Hikaru!" Lafarga told the knight of fire. "I joined Cephiro's Army because it was the only way to free myself from living under a life of poverty and slavery."

"Hold that thought, Mr. Lafarga!" Fuu exclaimed. "You mean, you were actually a slave back then before all of this?!"

"Before Princess Emeraude became the pillar of Cephiro, there was disorder and harsh, forced labor throughout the country and my family was no exception." Lafarga continued with his personal story. "When I was a ten-year old lad, before Emeraude was born, I was dragged out of my family to spent most of my life being forced by this one cruel noble family to tend to their household with no food, water, or any rest. Just when I was about to break down out of exhaustion and starvation, I was eventually rescued by another noble family that had a political quarrel with the very same family that was abusing me. After that, they gave me food, water, and luxury. They were really nice people. To make matters even better, they taught me swordsmanship and military tactics. It turns out that the noble family that rescued me and nurtured me back to health is actually a group of honorable soldiers and field commanders in the Cephirian Army. When I turned 20, they sent me to the Army to fulfill my destiny as a Guard Captain in Cephiro. The rest of the story you already know."

"I hope we'll be able to see our parents again as soon as we bring Britannia down to their knees," Hikaru muttered as she looked down, with tears coming out of her eyes. "I miss my mother and father so much; even my three brothers could stop thinking about them both!"

As Hikaru started crying in silent while holding her arm up to her face to hide her tears, Lantis came up to her and embraced Hikaru in his arms.

"It's alright, Hikaru, I'm sure we'll find your parents out there!" Lantis told his girlfriend. "Since you hadn't gave up on me when Nova captured me back at Cephiro, then you should not give up on them either. That's why we came to your world with you, so that we'll help you and the Magic Knights save the rest of your loved ones in Area 11."

"The same goes for me and Fuu too!" Umi added in with a smile on her face.

"I glad you came to our homeland with me and my friends, Lantis!" Hikaru said as she looked up towards Lantis with a tearful smile on her face.

"Say Zazu, did you receive any reports from Geo and Rakshata, yet?!" Ferio asked.

"I received word that Rakshata is developing a supercharged upgrade to make the Magic Knight's Rune Gods stronger to face against the higher generation Knightmares, but it may take a couple of months before it would occur," Zazu reported after he read through Geo's email in his laptop. "Well, Rakshata will be returning to Area 11 to check up on the Black Knights' Knightmares very soon."

"What about the Black Knights, are they still going to continue their campaign against Britannia, despite those unnecessary casualties at Narita?" Ferio asked, concerning their trust in the Black Knights.

"They may have made quite a mess at Narita, Ferio!" Lantis informed the disguised Cephirian Prince. "But their fight with Britannia is just the beginning!"

"So, where should we go next to aid the Black Knights?" Fuu asked.

"Only time will tell, Fuu!" Lafarga assumed. "Well, we still have yet to find your parents at Area 11 without drawing too much attention from the Britannians!"

"Actually, during my reconnaissance while you guys were fighting the Britannians at Narita, I did found a prison area stationed at the Britannian government bureau; they might be where they're holding Hikaru's, Umi's, and Fuu's parents. Again, we still need a plan to keep Cornelia's forces and the Darlton's Glaston Knights at bay while several of us move in and rescue the Eleven Prisoners there." Zazu reported.

"Very well! You guys leave Darlton to me!" Lafarga said, feeling confident in taking down the Britannian General.

"I'll take care of Cornelia, since she was the one who took my mother and father away, leaving me and my brothers fend for ourselves!" Hikaru spoke with determination.

* * *

At the college dorm, Lelouch could not help but feel a bit of pity for letting Shirley suffer unwillingly.

"Shirley, I'm sorry," Lelouch muttered to himself. "I didn't know your father would get involved with the incident at Narita!"

Flashback:

 _After everyone left Joseph's grave, Lelouch stands in front of Shirely speechless just like last night. Only this time, Shirley had an apology to make in front of him._

 _"Lulu, please forgive me! It was pretty stupid of me to kiss you like that last night. Please, just forget about it, okay?! I can't even be happy after you kissed me!"_

 _Before Lelouch could say anything, he sees Shirley turn around and ran off in tears again. Upon hearing what Shirley said, Lelouch couldn't be even more helpless in not comforting her like last time. In his mind, Lelouch should've tried different things to take down Britannia without wasting so many innocent people like Shirley's father. But now that he has to move on, Lelouch had to bear with the sins he committed as Zero for the rest of his life._

End of Flashback.

While he continued to sulk on his couch, Lelouch snapped out of his past thoughts when C.C starts her conversation with him while holding onto a yellow bear and sitting on top of his bed.

"So, did you regret killing her father?!" C.C asked, mentioning Shirley's father. "You did accuse Kirihara of being too soft! Didn't he asked you if you're heading to the 'path of blood?' Let's face it, you're the one who's being soft!"

"Shut up!" Lelouch hissed.

"Did you think this is just a game? The three female Elevens did regret killing some people in Cephiro because they weren't prepared for what will they be dealing with **after** they became Magic Knights. What happened to them in Cephiro will be no different than what will happen during the battles that will lie ahead in their own home world. You already killed your fair share of people. Even though you were prepared when forming the Black Knights and offering your allegiance with the Magic Knights, you failed to kill Prince Clovis when he was called back to the Government Bureau for another assignment."

"Just shut up!" Lelouch snarled in annoyance.

"They were all forced to leave their family behind. Even Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu were forced to leave their family behind when they got taken away from them seven years ago, before they became Magic Knights. There's no exception for all of this. It's hard to believe that you weren't prepared to face the consequences of your actions."

"JUST SHUT UP!" Lelouch shouted. "I AM PREPARED! Even though I failed to killed Prince Clovis, I'll still find a way to go after him, along with the rest of the Britannian Royal Family."

"Even though you are, are you still traumatized after learning of the death of Shirley's father? Do you think the Magic Knights and their Cephirian friends would trust you completely if they found out what a demon you'll become in the end?! If so, despite all the charisma and posturing, you're likely just acting like a spoiled little boy with a swollen, thick head!"

In an instant, Lelouch pinned C.C with her back on the bed mattress out of anger and annoyance. However, C.C still continued with her speech without showing any sign of startled emotions.

"You already dug in too deep with the Japanese and the Magic Knights to hold back anything right now. They all have a reason to fight in order to live another day. I'm sure you need to have a reason to live on, don't you?! Therefore, it's too late to turn back now!"

Not being able to say anymore, Lelouch started grunted in frustration before he gets off C.C and went into the showers while going over what the other people said to him recently.

 _"Are you really going through with this?!"_

 _"Us allying ourselves with a group of terrorists?!_ _I don't know about that! It may affect our honor back in Cephiro with negative results."_

 _"You may have a power that might become your undoing if you don't handle it properly. I feel that its properties may show a series of curses that will affect not just to the Britannians but also to us as well."_

 _"I just wish the world was a gentler place!" Nunnally said in Lelouch's past memories._

 _"By obliterating Britannia, are you heading towards the path of blood?!"_

* * *

Meanwhile at the hangar where the Lancelot is, Suzaku stood right next to it when all of a sudden, Lloyd appears to inform him with another mission from Cornelia and Clovis!

"I have some bad news, Suzaku! We just received word from Prince Clovis that we'll be assigned for the next operation with Princess Cornelia!"

As Suzaku went with Lloyd to discuss his next mission with the Viceroy of Area 11, Zero requested the aid with the Magic Knights, Ferio, Kallen, Lafarga, Lantis, Tamaki, and Ohgi in a warehouse down by the docks at sunset. As the warriors from both Japan and Cephiro have assembled, with their Knightmares stationed behind them, they formed up in a row and stood for attention by Zero himself. Before Zero can announce his mission at the docks, Ohgi steps in to clarify on what is going on between them and the JLF.

"Zero, this maybe a request from Kyoto! We might be able to handle it if the JLF works together with us and Cephiro's warriors, if we let the JLF join up with us instead of fleeing to a different country!"

"Diethard was the one who gave us information about Cornelia and her Royal Marines, right?!" Zero asked, ignoring Ohgi's suggestions.

"That's right!" The journalist acknowledged.

"The Princess will be deploying the Royal Marines when General Katase attempts to flee this dock!" Zero announced. "Isn't that right, Diethard?!"

"Yes Zero. In fact, this night raid upon the JLF will be all over the broadcast!" Diethard explained.

"So, this time Tohdoh won't be able to save Katase!" Zero concluded.

"Tohdoh..." Hikaru muttered.

* * *

 _Flashback: After Hikaru dropped off C.C and Zero at their Black Knight HQ...  
_

 _Hikaru and Rayearth attempted to make their way back to Ashford when all of a sudden, they unwillingly stumbled into Four Holy Swords in the forest. Before Rayearth could do anything, Tohdoh's Burai confronted them from behind with his sword held next to Hikaru's neck._

 _"Japanese, eh?!" Tohdoh said while still inside his Burai. "Or should I say, Lady Hikaru? Well, I didn't think I'd see you again seven years later after Suzaku joined the Britannian Army! If you tell me why are you facing Guilford and Cornelia at Narita, then I might be able to make a pact with you. First, I want to see your face outside of that strange Knightmare of yours!"_

 _"Well, don't be surprised, Lord Tohdoh!" Hikaru spoke as she came out of her Rune God, with the Burai lowering his revolving sword away from Rayearth's neck._

 _As Hikaru landed on her two feet in front of Rayearth, the Four Holy Swords were all shocked that the one who faced off Guilford and Cornelia is actually a young teenage girl._

 _"It looks like that another group of Elevens started their own rebellion directly against Cornelia as well!" Tohdoh muttered to himself as he came out of his Burai._

 _"I know you!" Hikaru said with her eyes widened upon seeing the Lt. Colonel approached her. "You used to be Suzaku's sensei seven years ago. What are you doing here?!"_

 _"I was about to ask you the same thing!" Tohdoh grinned._

 _"Well, ever since Cornelia took my parents away from me and my brothers, we had no choice but to live out on the street until Kirihara and Kururgi brought us in." Hikaru said._

 _"Yeah, I remembered, you were gaining an equal footing with Suzaku during sparring with our swords back then!" Tohdoh said, giving Hikaru a positive smirk on his face._

 _"Wait a moment, sir!" Urabe said as he got out of his Burai Kai and went in-between Hikaru and Tohdoh. "You know this young lady?!"_

 _"She was one of the students who was almost on the same level with Suzaku when she was attending Kendo with her brothers!" Tohdoh acknowledged. "Though, I didn't think she was able to get a Knightmare of her own unexpectedly!"_

 _"Well the thing is, sir Tohdoh, he's not really a Knightmare; he's my Rune God!" Hikaru said truthfully._

 _"Rune God?" Urabe said in shock. "Never heard of it! If so, then how did you..."_

 _"I always fight be Hikaru's side when being donned out onto the battlefield!" Rayearth bellowed, surprising Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords. "It's always been like that after she revived me back in the New World of Cephiro. After saving the Cephiro from thou destruction, it is our turn to save hers from thine enemies from thine world."  
_

 _"No way!" The Four Holy Swords exclaimed in unison. "That that thing actually talks?!"_

 _"You heard what he said guys!" Hikaru added in. "Needless to say, I've got a score to settle with Viceroy Cornelia. I plan to capture her and use her to free my parents from the Britannian Empire!"_

 _"How is it that you're able to gain all of this power at such a young age?" Lady Nagisa Chiba asked._

 _"It's a long story!" Hikaru said._

 _"Man kid, you sure have a lot of surprises to show Cornelia, huh?!" Urabe cackled. "You should join us and fight for the JLF!"_

 _"Not yet, sir!" Hikaru denied. "I need approval from Zero and my friends first!"_

 _"Your friends, you say?" Senba asked out of curiosity._

 _"Umi and Fuu, they have the similar weapons like I do!" Hikaru continued. "What are you guys going to do then?!"_

 _"Well, we're going to distract the Britannia while General Katase and his men make their way to the docks." Tohdoh explained. "However, since half of our Knightmares are badly damaged by Cornelia, we need time to recover. So, we won't be able to meet up with Katase at the docks in time. He'll be on his own from here on out!""  
_

 _"I understand!" Hikaru said in disappointment. "Well, I do need to meet up with Umi and Fuu at Ashford Academy after I drop Zero off at their Black Knight HQ!"_

 _"So, if you see Zero out there, give him our regards, Hikaru!" Tohdoh told the knight of Fire._

 _"We'll I hope we meet again very soon before Cornelia catches up to us!" Hikaru said as she embarked into her Rune God once more. "Until then, farewell!"_

 _As Hikaru went back into her Rune God, Rayearth took off in a silent flash leaving Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords staring at it from below before moving on._

* * *

Back to the present...

As Zero continued with the plan for the second mission, Hikaru snapped out of her thoughts from her encounter with Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords.

"This can only mean that the JLF no longer has any military strength! Their only chance of escape is their sakuradite."

"We should at least try to rescue General Katase!" Hikaru suggested to Zero. "They're also fighting for Japan as well. So, why can't we do that first before going after Cornelia?!"

"Hikaru, what is your place among Cephiro?!" Zero asked, ignoring Hikaru's suggestions.

"I'm a Magic Knight!" Hikaru said.

"Then, your objective is the same as ours. Again, we are to destroy Cornelia's troops then, we rescue the JLF. Do I make myself clear?!" Zero announced towards the Magic Knights and Cephiro's warriors.

"Yes sir!" Hikaru said as she saluted Zero.

"Good! We'll strike tonight!" Zero continued.

After Zero finished with his mission briefing, Ferio, Lantis, Lafarga, Kallen, and Tamaki left to prep their customized Knightmares for their nighttime battle. As for Hikaru and the Magic Knights, Diethard asked them for a private meeting in another dock warehouse.

"So ladies, how did it feel when you were helping our Zero at Narita?!" Diethard smirked.

"I still think Zero's planning is a bit reckless and sloppy!" Umi retorted. "I mean, we didn't want to see innocent people get hurt during battle. Ever since we learned of what happened to Shirley's father, it's almost like the tragic tale of Emeraude all over again."

"Well, if you're hesitant of becoming a Magic Knight Umi, then why did you go along with it anyway?" Diethard asked the Knight of Water.

"Clef looked up to me, despite how we're forced to kill Princess Emeraurde!" Umi said as she looked down on herself. "I just wanted to protect our friends from dying, even though they attempted to sacrifice their lives just to save others."

"You mean like Eagle Vision, the late Commander of Autozam?!" Diethard asked, much to Umi's surprise.

"Well, Eagle was close friends with Lantis way before we ran into him at Cephiro." Hikaru said, in a depressing tone of voice. "He maybe an invader, but he wasn't what I thought he was. When he helped us rescue Lantis from one of Cephiro's enemies, he already got killed in the end. Either way, Eagle was already heading towards death's door even before he arrived in Cephiro."

"I see! Nova, isn't it?! She was the shadow version of yourself who relentlessly tried to come after you and Lantis, wasn't it?!" Diethard blurted in serious tone towards Hikaru.

"Wait! How did you know about that, Mr. Diethard?!" Fuu asked, shockingly.

"Geo told me all of that back in Cephiro!" Diethard explained. "He was contemplating on trying to intercept Nova in Eagle's place but was refused because Eagle ran out of time and, therefore, it was Eagle's burden to bear. If you girls want to change the world, like what you did to Cephiro, now will be the time!"

"I see. We'll there's no going back anymore!" Hikaru said, with a determined voice. "We already came a long way as Magic Knights of Cephiro. I will not rest until I get to see my parents again, even if I were to see their remains at the end of this war."

"I'm with Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu said, confidently.

"So am I!" Umi acknowledged. "No matter what happens, we Magic Knights will fight to the bitter end!"

"You girls are even more amazing than you all look!" Diethard smiled in a positive tone. "Anyway, see you all on the battlefield."

As Diethard left the warehouse, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu conducted their plan to drive the transport ship carrying Kallen's Guren, Lantis' Sutherland, Lafarga's Gloucester, Ferio's Burai Kai, and Zero's and Tamaki's Burais out onto the battlefield as soon as Zero raises the signal. When their ship moves into Cornelia's position, the Magic Knights will bail out into the shadows and bring forth their Rune Gods before heading out into battle.

* * *

Meanwhile on the other side of the docks, right where the Britannians are stationed at, Suzaku has been given orders by General Darlton and Cornelia to give supporting fire for the Royal Marines while they attack and eliminate General Katase from the docks. Also, Suzaku was ordered to annihilate any JLF stragglers that'll try to escape with their lives. Feeling hesitant for one moment, Suzaku couldn't help if he was doing the right thing while changing the world from the inside as an Honorary Britannian. However, since he killed his father unknown to most of the Britannians, Suzaku felt that he cannot hold anything back after joining the Britannian Army. After all, Darlton is expecting Suzaku to display his loyalty to the Britannian Crown, no matter the costs.

As Darlton left to prep his Gloucester, Lloyd approaches Suzaku from his right.

"Conflicting morals, eh?!" The Earl grinned sheepishly.

"Well, I just hope Zero and the Magic Knights don't show up during our attack on the JLF again," Suzaku muttered to himself while clutching onto his locket. "They're probably the last people that I would ever want to see; especially when they caused the deaths of the people at Narita!"

"If you ever find out who those Magic Knights and Zero are, how do you think you're going to react when seeing their true faces out on the battlefield, huh?!" Lloyd asked, pressurizing Suzaku further. "Will you hesitate to kill them or will you continue carrying out your duties as a Briannian Soldier?"

"I-I don't know!" Suzaku said, nervously.

"It will be a matter of time when that happens. So, you might as well make up an answer very quick before they strike back at you down and front!" Lloyd smirked.

* * *

As the night sky appears from above, Shirley appears walking aimlessly around the dock warehouses unable to think straight about what Viletta told her earlier this morning.

"Lulu! Hikaru! They can't really have anything to do with the Black Knights and the Magic Knights, can they?! There has to be a mistake with them getting tangled with those terrorist attacks upon Britannia."

In her flashback, Shirley couldn't stop thinking about Viletta's suspicions around the Britannian Student and the Eleven Student.

 _"There may be a possibility that Hikaru and Lelouch may have a duo connection with the two Knightly groups!" Viletta told Shirley._

 _"You mean they're somehow involved with this terrorism?" Shirley sobbed as she looked at the pictures of Lelouch and Hikaru on the clipboard. "I-I DON'T BELIEVE YOU!"_

"Lulu, Hikaru! I'm sorry I have to spy on both of you during this night. But I have to find out the truth of what you two were up to." Shirley muttered to herself as she went back to her present.

While Shirley continued to walk around the warehouses, Viletta was hiding in a nearby shadowy corner somewhere behind the female Britannian student.

"I should've grabbed Lelouch Lamperouge when I had the chance!" Viletta thought, remembering that Lelouch was there when she tried to investigate the massacre of a group of Britannian Royal Guards in front of him. "I need some evidence first. If Shirley could at least talk to him, I might be able to learn what his roles are between the Magic Knights and the Black Knight terrorists! I might risk losing my position in the Britannia military, but it is a risk I'm willing to take just to learn who the Magic Knights and Zero really are."

As the Royal Marines are prepped up inside their Portman Knightmares, the Lancelot and several Sutherlands are stationed up front with their guns drawn and standing by. The Portmans happened to be an amphibious type of Knightmare that is used by the Britannian Navy and the Royal Marines. It is armed with should-mounted torpedo launchers and is equipped with a hydro jet pack, used to move while underwater. As of now, the Portmans are all lying on their torsos on top of their ramps, leaning directly towards the water.

Cornelia is seen standing behind her customized Gloucester awaiting for Darlton to give out the signal, who is right next to her. After several more minutes, Darlton announces his approval to carry out the mission.

"Princess Cornelia, it is time!"

"Commence Operation!" Cornelia ordered.

"Underwater units, Dive! Dive! Dive!" The sergeant spoke from inside his Portman Knightmare.

As the Portmans submerged underwater, they proceeded forward towards the JLF Tanker.

"As planned Suzaku, we are to give suppressive fire from our team while our Portmans secure that Tanker in one piece." The Sergeant spoke through one of the Lancelot's screens inside the cockpit.

"Understood, my lord!" Suzaku acknowledged as he drove the Lancelot to the firing point.

As one of the Portmans fired their torpedoes at one of the docks, it spewed out an explosion of water that can be seen from a mile away. On the other side of the warehouses, Shirley could see the huge sprout of water appear in a distance, making her worry about what is happening out there.

In another section of the docks, Ohgi was on top of the balcony of a ship crane while holding onto his radio for status reports. Upon seeing the attack by the Britannians once again with his binoculars, Ohgi makes contact with Zero through his radio.

"It's starting! Zero, what are your orders?! They're attacking the JLF!"

"We have to hold!" Zero responded through Ohgi's radio. "Cornelia attacks with faster procedures. If we move in now, we'll face death along with the JLF."

"Soldiers, shoot only with micro round ordinances!" One of the Officers ordered. "Try not to shoot at that liquid Sakuradite!"

As the Lancelot and the Sutherlands took their positions at the pier, they opened fire at the JLF soldiers appearing on the Tanker's main deck. Unfortunately, for Suzaku, he is seeing that his orders are revolving around wholesale slaughtering. Despite his inner protesting, Cecil appears on Suzaku's screen reminding him that soldiers are always meant to follow orders regardless of their killings.

When Katase started hearing gunfire coming from outside of the bridge, he started pounding his fist on the table out of frustration due to the fact that he is unable to make contact with anymore reinforcements, especially from Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords. To make matters worse, the Britannians are not accepting any terms of surrender from the JLF. As the JLF tanker started to departure, the Portmans unleashed their Slasher Harkens and hoisted themselves up on the moving ship from the water. Unknown to both the JLF and the Britannian Portmans, a Sakuradite sea mine is right below the tanker, which is rigged by Zero's detonator that he is holding onto while inside his Burai.

"Zero, if we don't hurry..." Ohgi told the masked hero before his speech was interrupted.

"Very well, go on ahead!" Zero responded as he activated his remote detonator with his right hand.

In just one second, the sea mine started lighting up right underneath the JLF tanker. Before anyone could see what was going on, an explosion erupted from underwater, lifting the JLF tanker up and disappeared into a massive sea eruption, taking General Katase with it. As a result, the impeding explosion left behind a gale force that made Lancelot and the Sutherlands struggle to stand their ground against it. Upon seeing this, Cornelia was left shocked and confused at what the JLF are thinking, the same thing goes for Ohgi from the other side of the docks.

"Such idiocy! They blew themselves up, along with the liquid Sakuradite?!"

As Ohgi peaked from behind the corner and looked at the destruction from the sea, he hears Zero speaking through his radio, summarizing what the JLF did, even though it was lie, unknown to them.

"Just as expected, the JLF choose to take the Britannians out with them!"

"Suicide? But that's not..." Ohgi asked in denial.

"We're going to avenge the JLF and declare a rush-in attack upon Cornelia's position!" Zero announced as the Fuu steered the transport ship straight into enemy territory, fighting their way through the sea current while Hikaru and Umi held onto the hand rails inside the ship's bridge. "Then again, we go in and capture Cornelia! By doing so, we will show them our strength and determination!"

"Understood sir!" Kallen and the Magic Knights acknowledged in unison.

"Why do I get the feeling that Zero made it happen?" Lantis said inside his mind while holding onto the controls from inside his Sutherland.

Back at the crane that Ohgi and Diethard are standing on top of, the journalist finds this twisted turn of events more than just exciting.

"This is so outstanding!"

As Diethard ran down the ladder from the crane, he assumed that Zero was just using the JLF as living bait to lure the Britannian Marines into a trap before they swoop in and take their prize red-handed!

"Now that the Magic Knights are paving way for Zero, it's time for them to show their fellow Japanese and the Black Knights more of their glory, their honor, and their dire vengeance to protect their loved ones!" Diethard laughed with encouragement.

Back at the docks where the remaining Britannian Sutherlands are at, they were met by a barrage of Selece's Icicle Blades, crippling several of them in the process. As soon as the ship got closer, Umi went up to the stern and unleashed her Sapphire Whirlwind, aiming the spell at the water behind them. In a blue tornado of water, Umi's spell lifted the ship up above the pier and crash landed in the middle of the enemy Sutherlands. While the ship's bottom is scratching through the pier, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu jumped off from the stern and summoned their Rune Gods. In just in a nick of time, the Rune Gods appeared and grabbed the Magic Knights before they hit the pavement. The next thing they knew, is that the Magic Knights are now inside their Rune Gods. Without any delay, the Rune Gods charged forward to catch up with their allies who went on ahead.

"ENEMY ATTACK!" One of the Sutherland pilots shouted before he was smashed by the ship's mass.

On the other side where Suzaku was, he was confused over why would the JLF blew themselves up after the Portmans reached the tanker. Before he had the chance to say anymore, Suzaku spotted several more explosions coming from where Cornelia and Darlton are at.

"Everyone, attack now! Knock their Knightmares into the sea before they had the chance to mount up!" Zero ordered.

As soon as the transport ship stopped, the Guren and the customized Cephirian Knightmares popped out of the cargo hold when it opened up wide and attacked the enemy Sutherlands in all directions. For Lantis, he activated his Sutherland's Harkens and hoisted himself up on top of the ship's starboard side and opened fire with his Giant Cannon. Lafarga came down from the ship's port side and drew out two Maser Swords before cutting down every enemy Knightmare in his sights. As for Ferio, he had his Burai Kai leap down from the ship's stern and kicked one of the Sutherlands in the face simultaneously, knocking him down. Just when Ferio's Burai landed on his two feet, the prince drew out his revolving blade and charged forward.

While the Cephirians continued their fight, General Darlton and Guilford were the first to get inside their Gloucesters before heading out to confront the warriors engaging their men. As soon as Darlton and Guilford are at the frontlines, the Britannian General gets confronted by Lafarga's Gloucester while Guilford runs into Selece who landed right in front of him after disengaging from his flight.

"Hello, Lord Guilford!" Umi smirked as she drew out her rapier.

The moment Umi's Rune God landed, she lunged at Guilford and made repetitive jabs at his Knightmare with her rapier, making him unable to do any counter-attacking. Instead, Guilford was forced to block every overwhelming jab from Selece as he made his attempt to back away from the aggressive Rune God.

"Damn you, Magic Knight!" Guilford grunted while trying to keep his guard up.

For Darlton and Lafarga, Darlton drew out his Maser Sword and charged at Lafarga's Gloucester head on. In an instant, Lafarga slashed at Darlton with both of his swords in a cross before he was met with the Britannian General holding his sword in between while holding his ground. While struggling with his fight with one of the enemies, Darlton pulled up one of his screens his eyes widened with shock, revealing a rough-skinned, muscular warrior with a sarge-like hair style.

"Who are you, trying to aid the Magic Knights and Zero?!" Darlton spoke, in a shocked tone.

"I am Fenrir August Lafarga! Captain of Cephiro's Royal Guard!" Lafarga spoke in a angry tone. "Your people have declared war upon my country and destroyed innocent lives in Cephiro. So now that I have the Magic Knights aiding me on the battlefield, I shall have my revenge!"

"Captain Lafarga?!" Darlton spoke in surprising tone while backing away from the enemy Gloucester. "Why are you helping the Magic Knight Elevens here?!"

"They saved my life when I was cursed by an evil spell back in Cephrio three years ago!" Lafarga replied out loud. "In return, I owe them all a huge debt in saving this place that the Magic Knights call their home! So, don't even think that I'm just here for tourism!"

"We'll just see about that, Lafarga!" Darlton growled as he pulled out his lance with the Gloucester's left hand.

In an instant, Darlton charged forward at Lafarga with his lance raised up to his hip before thrusting it into Lafarga's Gloucester.

Fuu and Windam met up with Ferio who is still engaging several more Sutherlands with his Burai Kai. The moment Fuu went up to her boyfriend, she fired up her Winds of Admonishment and restrained 4 Sutherlands all at once.

"Ferio, are you okay?!" Fuu asked in a worried tone after seeing Ferio's Burai holding himself up with his Revolving Sword.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Ferio replied as he smiled at Windam. "Let's get e'm!"

"You got it!" Fuu acknowledged as she drew out her sword and went right next to Ferio's Burai Kai.

* * *

Meanwhile inside the hangar that Cornelia was in, she was prepping her Knightmare when Guilford's channel started kicking in.

"Princess, we can handle this!"

"Silence! How many times do you think I'll allow them to mock me?!" Cornelia shouted back, angrily.

Before Cornelia had to power on her Knightmare and press forward, she was met with a shield bash in the stomach by none other than Rayearth.

"Dammit! Not that Magic Knight Eleven again! Do you think you can best me at Knightmare combat?!" Cornelia snarled as she had her Knightmare shoved Rayearth back with a thrust kick.

As Rayearth backed away, Cornelia had enough time to open fire with her Assault Rifle only to be met with Rayearth throwing her sword at it. Just like that, Cornelia's Rifle was slammed into one of the large storage containers with Hikaru's sword lodged into its barrel. Behind Hikaru, Kallen's Guren and Zero's Burai appeared amazed by how the Knight of Fire was able to disarm Cornelia immediately. Just before Hikaru was about to unleash one of her spells at Cornelia, Zero ordered her to stop at once so that he'll deal with her instead.

"I'll smash your hatch and drag you out, Cornelia!" Zero hissed as he aimed the Burai's Assault Rifle at the Viceroy's Gloucester.

But before he could open fire, Zero spotted another person in the shadows watching him from a distance. It was Shirley, unknown to Hikaru, Cornelia, and Kallen.

"Shirley?" Zero muttered.

Suddenly, without warning, the Lancelot jumped off from a storage container and smash Zero's Burai in the face, pinning him to the ground, and jumped off before turning around to face Zero, Rayearth, and the Guren.

"Zero, your methods are not going to change anything!" Suzaku presumed. "Because you're obsessed with goals, you don't even know how much pain people are suffering from!"

As the Lancelot started pummeling Zero's Burai, Kallen attempted to intercept but was met with a rush attack by Cornelia with her Jousting Lance.

"This is payback from Narita!" Cornelia shouted from her Gloucester.

"CORNELIA STOP!" Hikaru shouted as she made an attempted to grab the Viceroy's Knightmare from behind.

However, before she got any closer, Hikaru was met with a rear kick to the stomach by the Gloucester's left landspinner.

"You stay out of this, you dammed Eleven!" Cornelia shouted back while holding her ground against the Guren.

While the Lancelot smashed Zero's Burai to the ground, Zero was pondering on why does the white Knight in shinning armor keep getting in the way. As for Suzaku, he keeps wondering why would Zero ended up spilling innocent blood. Just when the Lancelot was about to shoot at the Burai with his Assault Rifle, Rayearth rammed at him and knocked the white Knightmare's gun away while pinning him to the ground. However, the Lancelot wasn't done yet as he struggled with Rayearth, trading blows between each other while wrestling over the ground with their bare hands.

"You leave Zero alone!" Hikaru shouted while inside Rayearth holding the Lancelot down with her shield.

"Get off of me, Magic Knight!" Suzaku growled while being pinned by Rayearth. "This is between me and him!"

During the tussle, Hikaru was able to buy Zero enough time for him to escape as he shot out his Harken up into the air, pulling him away from Suzaku. As the Burai was up in mid-air, Suzaku was finally able break free by kneeing Rayearth in her exposed lower ribs and pushed the Rune God away from him. After taking the full brunt of Lancelot's knee, Hikaru coughed up blood while clutching her stomach on the ground next to the Lancelot. As soon as he got up, Suzaku sees Zero's Burai crash in a distance. However, before Suzaku could approach Zero for capture, he started hearing Cornelia's alarming voice from his channel.

"LANCELOT, BEHIND YOU!"

The moment Lancelot turned around, he sees the Guren flew at him with full fury after breaking away from Cornelia's Gloucester.

"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HIM!" Kallen roared as she and the Lancelot fought each other on top of the large containers.

As for Rayearth, when she attempted to get back up while clutching her stomach with her right hand, Hikaru be met with a jousting lance held up to her neck.

"This is the end, Magic Knight Eleven!" Cornelia hissed. "If you come out of that Rune God so that I can see who you really are and surrender peacefully, I might make this easier for you!"

"I have no intention of surrendering, Princess Cornelia!" Hikaru spoke while inside her Rune God. "Well, I'll give you a hint. You probably don't remember me at all, your highness. We've already met before seven years ago. You were there during the time that me and my brothers were forced to see our parents get taken away by your men after you took over Japan!"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Cornelia jeered.

"You'll see very soon!" Hikaru added as she placed her left hand on the ground.

Before Cornelia could say anymore, Rayearth casted another spell on the ground with her left hand as it started glowing bright yellow at an alarming rate. The next thing that happened is when Rayearth engulfed by a yellow flash, startling Cornelia as she covered her eyes with her right elbow. After the flash disappeared, Rayearth was nowhere to be seen.

"Ugh! That Magic Knight vanished!" Cornelia hissed in frustration. "You can run, Magic Knight! But you cannot hide! I will find you!"

As Cornelia's voice was heard from her Knightmare from a mile away, Rayearth reappeared behind one of the storage containers, away from her line of sight. After taking a few deep breaths, Hikaru moved on to rescue Zero.

* * *

Meanwhile, after Zero crash landed away from the battlefield, he fell unconscious after getting banged up from inside his ejector cockpit. While Zero was out cold, Shirley approached towards him cautiously. Before she stepped any closer, Shirley spotted Zero's handgun lying right where her right foot was at.

"Zero's handgun, isn't it?!" Shirley thought as she picked it up with her right hand. "Then with this, I'll avenge my father!"

As Shirley aimed the gun at Zero's face, she was preparing to kill Zero for the sake of her father. However, before Shirley could even pull the trigger, Zero's mask slowly came off. Not a moment too soon, Shirley was shocked after realizing that Zero's true identity was none other than Lelouch Lamperouge. Again, Lelouch is still unconscious after barely escaping the Lancelot. This time, Lelouch's head started bleeding.

"L-Lelouch? I-It can't be! H-How could he...?" Shirley stammered in confusion and horror.

"Is that Zero?!" Viletta asked as she appeared from the shadows.

As Viletta approached the unconscious Zero, she grabbed his head only to realize that Lelouch was actually Zero himself, a Britannian Student from the Ashford Academy.

"Well, if it isn't the student from the Ashford Academy!" Viletta cackled. "A young Britannian, eh?! Well, no matter, once I bring him into custody, I'll finally earn my place as part of the Britannian Nobles!"

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" Hikaru shouted as she and Rayearth landed roughly behind both Viletta and Shirley, leaving behind a huge crack on the ground.

As the two Britannians turned around, they see Rayearth drew out her Escudo Broadsword and pointed at both of them.

"STAY AWAY FROM ZERO...er," Hikaru ordered before seeing two familiar faces not too long ago.

"What the?" Shirley gasped in shock. "I know that voice!"

"Shirley?! I know you!" Hikaru gasped after seeing one of her Britannian friends at school.

"Oh my god! Hikaru, is that really you in there?!" Shirley asked in shock. "This isn't some sort of trick is it?"

"Shirley, what are you doing here?" Hikaru asked in confusion.

"So, you actually know about Hikaru, eh?!" Viletta laughed further before turning her attention towards Hikaru. "I never thought that one of the Magic Knights is also one of the students at the Ashford Academy. You really think you can oppose us with a contraption like this, do you?!"

Upon seeing that Hikaru is actually one of the Magic Knights protecting Cephiro, Shirley felt even more confused on what happened to Lelouch and Hikaru. In her mind, Shirley couldn't really tell if those two are really fighting for Japan or making things worse for both Japan and Britannia. Either way, Shirley could not come up with any words to start off with.

"I knew it was a bad idea for Princess Cornelia to send you to that school, in exchange for your parents being put to slavery!" Viletta thought, referring to Hikaru, as she stealthily took out a EMP grenade from her pocket. "You're just waiting until we let our guard down so that you could strike back at us from behind, weren't you?!"

"Actually, ever since you attack Cephiro, I had no choice but to move in to stop you and your men from ripping that world apart," Hikaru clarified briefly.

"Why do you even care about those Cephirian filth? You're not even born from there anyway!" Viletta glared.

"I met some really good friends in Cephiro and they've known me for over three years. So, I have no regrets in fighting against people like you just to protect them all!" Hikaru hissed. "Some of them even lend a hand to help me save Japan in return from you."

"Is that a fact?!" Viletta snarled as she hurled her EMP grenade at Rayearth.

Before Rayearth could raise her shield up, Hikaru was struck by Viletta's grenade. As a result, Hikaru started screaming while an electrical surge was zapping her body from the inside. After getting struck, Rayearth collapsed on his knees and fell over to his side. In just seconds later, Hikaru finally came out of her Rune God but in an unconscious state. While out Hikaru was out cold, Shirley couldn't think straight after seeing how much kindness her transfer student friend has displayed during the time she spent at school; not after seeing Hikaru wearing strange knightly armor, a red diadem, and a red cape flowing behind her back. As her armor disappeared, Hikaru is now seen wearing a regular red and black tank-top and a medium-sized skirt.

"I-I don't believe it; Hikaru is actually one of the Magic Knights, hiding right under our noses from the start!" Shirley muttered in horror. "H-How could she do this to us?! Is she just pretending to be my friend so that she can get close to the Britannians before striking them from the shadows?!"

"Heh! Heh! Heh!" Viletta smirked as she approach Hikaru while grabbing her by the hair. "She may be strong in ways that mattered, but I've got other plans in taking down enemies with cunning than rather just using force! Now then, were are we?! Oh yes, as soon as I bring those two to Viceroy Cornelia, she is going to rethink her methods when dealing with the Shidou Family. Not only will I become a Knight of Honor, I'll ascend towards real nobility in the Britannian Empire. I do want to thank you for your cooperation, Shirley Fennette."

However, as soon as Viletta turned around to face the female Britannian student, she was met with a gun pointing at her by Shirley Fennette. It turns out that Shirley couldn't decide what to do anymore, after feeling confused and traumatized by what Lelouch and Hikaru had done recently.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Viletta gasped in shock. "You're not really friends with these two traitors are you?!"

"NOOOOOOO!" Shirley shrieked.

Just as Viletta made one step forward to where Shirley was at, the gun Shirley was holding let out a loud gunshot that echoed throughout the night!


	11. Is it for Sins or for Honor?

Chapter 10: "Is it for Sins or for Honor?"

Seven Years ago after Britannian took over Japan...

 _After Cornelia's main force took over Tokyo, she ordered her men to drag out the Japanese Survivors from their homes or whatever is left of them and brought them before her presence. One of them happens to be Hikaru herself, who is 10 years old, along with her elder brothers Masaru, Kakeru, and Satoru, and her mother and father. Upon being dragged out by the Britannian Marines, Hikaru couldn't stop sobbing after seeing several of her other friends get beaten and pulled away from their loved ones. A 20-year old Princess Cornelia Li Britannia, dressed in a regal military officer's uniform, came out of the G-1 Base along with two of her Elite Soldiers, Viletta Nu and Jeremiah Gottwald, General Darlton, and Lord Guilford. As two rows of Britannian Soldiers and Knightmares paved way for the Princess, Cornelia stepped out of her G-1 Base approached the group of frightened Japanese people her men have rounded up in a cluster group. Before Hikaru knew what was going on, she was confronted by none other than Princess Cornelia, the Commander of the Britannian Military. Feeling frightened on what Cornelia would do next to her or her family, Hikaru was feeling scared, unable to say or do anything._

 _As Cornelia approached the cowering little girl, she held Hikaru's chin up with her right hand and gave her an evil smirk. The next thing Cornelia did was kneel in front of the little girl while giving out an evil smile._

 _"You do remind me of my little sister Princess Euphy," Cornelia chuckled. "What is your name, little lady?"_

 _"I-I'm Hikaru S-Shidou," The red-haired girl said, nervously._

 _"That's a cute, pretty name," Cornelia grinned in a sinister tone. "I won't kill you, I'll take you in as my personal slave for life!"_

 _By the time Cornelia grabbed Hikaru by the shoulder, making her yelp in fear, and attempted to drag her away to the G-1, her mother and her father stepped in, despite getting pushed back by several of Cornelia's guards and being held at gunpoint by Viletta and Jeremiah._

 _"WAIT!" Hikaru's mother shouted. "Please, not my baby girl! She's not worth it!"_

 _"Why not?!" Viletta hissed as she aimed her gun at Mrs. Shidou in the head._

 _"Please, she's the only daughter in our family. Take us instead. We'll do anything to for our daughter. ANYTHING!" Hikaru's father begged while bowing down with his head on the ground._

 _"Why should we? Younger Elevens are much more worthy as slaves than Elderly Elevens!" Viletta sneered._

 _"She already attended private school since her first year in Elementary!" Mrs. Shidou whimpered after getting slammed on the ground head first by one of Viletta's men. "Please, I beg of you. Take me and my husband instead!"_

 _After a few minutes of silence, Cornelia lets go of Hikaru's shoulder and ordered her men to drag her parents up front._

 _"I'd figured that Hikaru may be a little too young to serve under me as my personal maid yet," Cornelia clarified. "Very well, we'll let Hikaru and her brothers go and continue with her pitiful education but only on one condition: Mr. and Mrs. Shidou will serve under me as my personal servants for life in exchange for their children's lives."_

 _"Are you sure about this, your highness?!" Viletta asked in doubt. "It may be a bad idea to spare Hikaru from slavery to continue to go to school in Area 11!"_

 _"Don't worry, Viletta. Hikaru will still be put under slavery and torment at her school filled with Britannian students. After all, we always rise up above most of the cultures that surrendered before us!" Cornelia replied in a confident tone._

 _As she sees her parents get dragged away and out of sight by Darlton and Guilford, Hikaru was wailing out loud as tears came spilling out of her eyes._

 _"MOTHER! FATHER! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME!"_

 _"It's alright, Hikaru!" Mr. Shidou said as he turned around while being dragged by Cornelia's Knight. "No matter what happens out there, we'll always love you until the very end!"_

 _"You listen to what your brothers say from now on," Mrs. Shidou told Hikaru before she and her husband get onboard the G-1 Base._

 _As both of her parents disappeared into the Britanninan Mobile Fortress, Hikaru screamed and cried hopelessly as her brothers tried to comfort her, despite tears coming out of their eyes as well._

* * *

When Hikaru woke up from her sleep, she exclaimed and gasped for air only to find herself tied up to a chair in chains and her mouth gagged. After remembering her previous fight at the docks and her encounter with the Britannian Elite Soldier and Shirley, Hikaru suddenly realized that they must've found out about her and held her prisoner somewhere in an unknown location. Since she got too much attention from both Viletta and Shirley, Hikaru starts to suspect that this is one reason why she woke up in a restrained fashion. Does her friends and her allies know where she is or will they have a hard time trying to find her? Unable to think clearly on any possible outcomes, Hikaru looks around and notices that she is surrounded in total darkness, not even knowing what is going on right now. Before she had a chance to react, Shirley appears from the darkness as she held a tall lamp post next to her face.

"Hikaru, you weren't really one of the Magic Knights helping out Zero, are you?!" Shirley asked coldly before taking Hikaru's gag off. "Please, tell me this isn't true!"

"Shirley, you have no idea what I've been through before 7 years ago..." Hikaru responded weakly before she was met with a slap in the face by a raging, whining Shirley.

"DON'T LIE TO ME! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?! I TRUSTED YOU!?" Shirley shouted at the top of her lungs while shaking Hikaru violently while tied to her chair. "YOU WERE MY FRIEND! YET, YOU LET THAT IDIOT ZERO KILL MY FATHER, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS ACTUALLY LELOUCH?!"

"If you don't believe me, that's fine. But can you at least let me explain everything from the beginning first before you could say anything else?!" Hikaru grunted while trying to keep his eyes onto a somber Shirley. "Because Zero wasn't the only one who was forced to experience such sin as this!"

Upon hearing what Hikaru just said, Shirley took a deep breather before continuing with her interrogation with the Knight of Fire. Meanwhile, behind Shirley, another man appeared from the shadows, unaware of his presence. He happens to be a 17-year old young man who is a Chinese Orphan named Mao. The man was wearing a light-blue jacket and a long-marooned sleeve shirt with black strips. He has brown gloves on his hands. On his lower half, he was wearing long black trousers with long brown boots with straps. On his face, Mao is wearing sunglasses covering his eyes and a purple headphone over his head. As he sees Shirley interrogating Hikaru, Mao started clapping with both of his hands with delight.

"So, one of the Magic Knights that was wreaking havoc on the Holy Britannian Empire is actually a young female Eleven lurking in the shadows of Area 11, eh?!" Mao grinned slyly. "With using such a deadly Knightmare Frame out on the battlefield, that little lady sure has such a deadly taste for vengeance, just like Zero, or should I say Lelouch vi Britannia. I can't wait to see how will Lelouch confronts Shirley while holding Hikaru as a meat shield."

* * *

Meanwhile back at the docks, several hours earlier after Hikaru got taken away by a confused Shirley, Lelouch regains his consciousness only to find that his handgun is missing and there is large bloodstain and a footprint of Rayearth lying a couple of feet from him. The next thing Lelouch saw was that C.C appeared from the shadows, this time wearing civilian clothes. Specifically, C.C is now wearing brown clothing and a big cap on her head. Unlike last time, C.C had her green hair tied back in a long ponytail. As she approach Lelouch, C.C was looking at the scenery for a few seconds before being asked by Lelouch on what happened. After hearing what Lelouch had to say, he was unable to issue any orders at the moment for he was convinced by C.C that someone saw his face and took his gun away. In his point of view, it might be possible that there were three witnesses; one who fired the gun, one who got shot, and one who appear behind both of them, which was presumed to be Hikaru and Rayearth. So, C.C gave the order to Ohgi to have the Black Knights and Cephiro's warriors fall back, by the approval of Zero himself. As soon as Zero put his mask back on, Lantis, Umi and Fuu appeared from the shadows with their Rune Gods and Knightmare and disembarked. The moment they all appeared before Zero and C.C, they were feeling worried of what happened to their friend Hikaru during their 2nd battle with Cornelia.

"Zero, we felt a faint presence that something bad happened to Hikaru again!" Lantis assumed, feeling concerned over his Magic Knight girlfriend. "What happened?!"

"It appears that someone must've captured Hikaru when trying to save Zero again!" C.C suspected. "And that someone already discovered Zero's secret identity!"

"You mean, Hikaru was a witness and that someone must've put her down first before taking her into custody?!" Umi shrieked out of worry.

"Don't worry Lady Umi, we'll find Hikaru and deal with whoever tried to make her spill the beans about who what is going on!" C.C said with determination. "It might also mean that they must've found out that Hikaru is one of the Magic Knights fighting against Britannia."

"Oh crab apples!" Umi muttered to herself and stomped her foot on the ground out of frustration. "I knew it was a bad idea for Hikaru to let her do things on her own, even out on the battlefield. It was just like at the one time we saw her badly injured after we regained our consciousness back in Cephiro. And when she faced off Lafarga when he was being controlled by Zagato alone."

"Well sometimes, you have to learn how to stay alive on the battlefield, with or without any support!" C.C summarized. "There won't be any choice in that matter and there's no going back after coming such a long way as Knights displaying honor for another country apart from where you all belong!"

"What do you even know about us, Magic Knights anyway?" Umi asked in annoyance.

"I've known a lot of things Lady Umi. You probably don't know just by looking at me, but I've been living in this world for more than a century and I've seen worse from people like Hikaru and Cornelia," C.C said grimly.

"More than a century?" Fuu asked in shock. "What kind of crazy talk is this?"

"Well the thing is, C.C isn't really half the human that you all know," Zero pondered. "Her life isn't normal to begin with."

"Are you saying that she's some sort of immortal witch?" Umi gasped in horror, referring to the green-haired girl.

"I guess you could say that," C.C smirked at Umi.

Upon hearing all this, Umi and Fuu were completely shocked at what C.C really is, despite being human. However, Lantis still stood between the two Knights, unfazed and emotionless from everything that C.C just said. Now that Lantis thought about it, she maybe just as strange as himself after taking a mortal blow by Nova before he got captured. The Magic Swordsman could not help but notice that, just like in Cephrio, there is a lot of strange things in Japan that are unknown to him and that C.C is no exception. He also sensed that even though C.C has no superpowers, she might have been able to speak to others that aren't really there.

"That is the strangest woman, I've ever seen in all my life," Lantis thought.

"Anyway, let's not waste anymore time! We have to find Hikaru before they turn her over to the Britannian authorities!" Zero said as he moved on.

* * *

After hearing what Hikaru just said during her interrogation, Shirley couldn't tell if the red-haired knight was being sinful or fighting for honor for both Cephiro and for Japan. Unable to hear anymore from Hikaru, Shirley stormed out of the dark room and went out the door, leaving Hikaru alone with Mao. When Hikaru took a few deep breaths after getting yelled at by Shirley due to her ranting and sobbing, she started hearing an ominous laughter coming from the shadows. In just a few seconds, Mao appeared before Hikaru while clapping his hands again.

"So Hikaru, you sure gave Shirley quite a scare after she found out who you really are back there, eh?!" Mao snickered with delight.

"Who are you?!" Hikaru asked sternly while still being tied to her chair.

"Oh right, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Mao!" The Chinese Man spoke amusingly. "It's hard to believe that someone in Japan would vanish to another world and come back as a different person, unlike seven years ago. You may have been trying to stay physically strong for your friends and been trying to maintain a strong, positive attitude with happiness, but deep down you've been emotionally traumatized by the sins that you have caused from the other world that you're in and by a horrible past that devastated your entire family before all of this. When you came back here, possessing supernatural powers that is not of this world, you think you can get revenge on the people that did your family in. Well, answer me this: Why do you fight for a country that isn't part of ours? Why did you continue to fight as a Magic Knight in another country? Is it for sins or for honor?! Which one is it?!"

Upon hearing those questions from Mao, Hikaru felt stunned for she was not able to come up with any answers at the moment. Every time Mao keeps saying things from his mouth about Hikaru, she started sweating while under stress and embarrassment.

"If you think you can save Japan from Britannia with this unbelievable taste of vengeance, you're likely going to commit more sins than ever before. It may be just like the time that you were forced to kill the very same person that brought you and your friends to Cephiro, leaving that world in disgrace. They called her the Pillar of Cephiro, a.k.a the Cephiro's Governess and Leader."

"Are you reading my mind, Mao?!" Hikaru blurted out angrily. "Whatever it is, I don't want to live in the past anymore. You better stop this or else, if I ever get out of this mess, I'll fry you and slice you up like a BBQ chicken!"

"Oh, so scary! It's also unbelievable that you were possessing overwhelming supernatural powers that'll make even an entire army crumble to their knees. Because of this, you were able to inherit that title, yet you abolished most of it's systems so that you can be happy with everyone that you care about. However, you'll eventually lose your happiness that you have fought very hard to achieve because the more you keep fighting against Britannia blindly with such force just to protect Cephiro and its inhabitants and your remaining family, the more sinful you'll become. There won't be any end to this violent cycle of sins, Hikaru!" Mao laughed. "If you think you can fight for honor for both Japan and Cephiro, you'll have to pay the price letting Zero take advantage of your heroism. Therefore, you won't really be any different from the Holy Britannian Empire!"

"Like I'm ever going to believe that!" Hikaru growled as she struggled with her seat in anger while feeling overwhelmed by what Mao is saying at her. "What makes you think Zero is just taking advantage of me anyway?!"

"Oh, you'll see, Hikaru!" Mao grinned in an evil tone. "That's right, you'll see."

* * *

Inside Shirley's room, she went up to her desk to write a note to herself about everything that happen on that night. After hearing what Hikaru said, about her story seven years ago, about how she became a Magic Knight in Cephiro, how she saved that world from destruction three years ago, and when Hikaru was on a warpath with Viceroy Cornelia, Shirley couldn't tell if Hikaru and her friends were being sinful or honorable to the Cephirian natives. Either way, Shirley started crying again and was unable to continue writing after a few words. Out of confusion and grief, Shirley attempted to crumple up her note until one of her roommates woke up and asked her about Lelouch.

Inside the Black Knight's hideout, Zazu, Lantis, Lafarga, and Ferio were all standing around in the warehouse nervously about what is happening to Hikaru out there. For Umi and Fuu, they went back to school after putting their weapons and their gloves away. As for Zero, he went inside his private quarters in their trailer before talking to Suzaku on his cellphone. While Zero was hanging out with C.C in the trailer, Suzaku picks up the phone while in the Student Council Office at Ashford Academy.

"Hello, Ashford Academy Student Council. How may I help you?!" Suzaku spoke through the phone.

"Hi, Suzaku. It's me, Lelouch," The former Britannian Prince said while on the phone.

"Hi Lelouch, what's up?" Suzaku smiled, realizing that he made contact with his childhood friend, despite being too absent at school.

"Suzaku, did anything unusual happened at school?!" Lelouch continued.

"Well, for one thing, you weren't showing up in school very often. You should take school more seriously," Suzaku scolded softly.

"Right, sorry about that!" Lelouch said in embarrassment.

"Other than that, Shirley hasn't been seen around the school for some reason," Suzaku added.

"Can you tell Nunnally that I'll be late tonight?!" Lelouch told the Honorary Student.

"If so, why insist on going to this school when not showing up?" Suzaku asked, concerning over Lelouch's absence.

Before Lelouch could answer Suzaku's question, he started hearing a cat screeching from the other side. It turns out in Suzaku's POV, that a cat named Arthur, who was found around the school as a stray but was adopted by Milly, was playing with the phone cord. In an instant, Suzaku started freaking out when Arthur tried to leap at him on his lap. After hearing Arthur screeching and Suzaku yelping, Lelouch ended the call and put his cellphone on the table and concluded that Suzaku doesn't known anything about Lelouch being Zero. As C.C reminded Lelouch about the evidence mentioned at the scene where Hikaru was last seen, he couldn't stop thinking about Shirley watching him from the shadows during his assault on Cornelia.

"I could've sworn I saw Shirley through the Burai's nightvision camera," Lelouch said to himself.

"You mean the girl who was crying on your shoulders and kissed you by accident?!" C.C smirked.

"Don't give me that, witch!" Lelouch grunted in embarrassment.

"Well, if she knows something about Hikaru and you, then we better find her as soon as possible!" C.C suggested to Lelouch.

* * *

Inside the throne room of the Britannian Government Bureau, Princess Euphy, Viceroy Cornelia, and Prince Clovis sat on their thrones while Guilford and Darlton presented themselves up front. Before any of the Britannian Royals could say anything, Darlton stepped forward to discuss the overall reports from the operations while dealing with the JLF.

"From our previous missions with obliterating the JLF and the resistance, I'm starting to suspect that someone is trying to target you directly during the Black Knights' assault."

"You mean, they're trying to eliminate the enemy leader in such astonishing tactics!" Cornelia rephrased.

"I can't help but feel traumatized after barely escaping from Cephiro after they wrecked my precious G-1 Mobile Fortress," Clovis said in fear, while holding both of his shoulders. "I'm just glad those Magic Knight Elevens didn't get anywhere close to me when their allies tried to attack me and my men back at Mt. Dakurd."

"Zero isn't just going after the Britannian Forces; he might be going after the Royal Family of Britannia instead," Darlton added in.

"Well, that Magic Knight Eleven was spouting something about remembering me seven years ago before she faced me in battle," Cornelia muttered as she held her chin with her right hand.

"I think it might have something to do with that little Eleven girl that you failed to bring in as your slave," Guilford assumed.

"Now that you mentioned it, Zero may have a deep hatred for the Imperial Royal Family and that Magic Knight inside that Rayearth Knightmare is trying to get revenge over Viceroy Cornelia for some unexplained reason!" Darlton summarized. "I also do believe that this Magic Knight is trying to get Cornelia's attention when siding with the Black Knights."

Now that Euphy thought about it, the young sub-viceroy is thinking that if she ever ran into to this Magic Knight inside that Rayearth Knightmare, she might need to find a way to talk this Eleven warrior out of resorting to violence for the sake of Cephiro and for Japan. She did remember that seven years ago, during the time when Cornelia ordered her guards to secure Hikaru's parents, Euphy was peeking out from one of glass windows from the G-1 base. Euphy saw a young Hikaru crying out to her parents, unknown to the young Eleven girl. As Euphy sees Hikaru's brothers comfort her, the young princess actually felt bad for Hikaru. But since Euphy is too young to do anything, she last saw Hikaru crying on the ground before feeling the floor around her shake. It proves to a point that the G-1 Base Euphy is in is starting to move away from the area where Cornelia confronting the Shidou Family took place in. After learning about how the Magic Knights rose up and protected Cephiro from Prince Clovis' men and how one of them went after Cornelia, Euphy is starting to wonder if Hikaru might be one of the Magic Knights pursuing Cornelia. If that's true, then Euphy might need to deal with Hikaru before the conflict between her and her elder sister gets worse. But before Euphy could think about her past with Hikaru any more, Euphy also couldn't stop thinking about from what Zero said before she was rescued by Suzaku during the Hotel Jacking; saying that Euphy would risk her life for the sake of the commoners. As Cornelia approached Euphy, making her snap out of her younger sister's thoughts, Guilford suggested Euphy to offer some protection from Zero and the Magic Knights.

"Why not assign a knight to Princess Euphemia?"

"A knight, really?!" Euphy asked as her eyes widened out of curiosity.

"If we were to assign a permanent Knight for Euphy, we might be able to build a Royal Guard unit around that Sentinel!" Guilford added in. "Now that Princess Euphemia is Sub-Viceroy of Area 11, she has been given the right to assign a soldier from the Britannian Army to be promoted as her personal champion!"

* * *

While Lelouch and C.C were investigating on what is Shirley up to, they were searching all over her room for evidence revolving around last night but not before Lelouch used his Geass to make Shirley's roommate wait outside, lying to her that they're conducting a disinfecting sweep in her room. During the search in Shirley's room, Lelouch discovers a Line Timetable log book from within the pile of notebooks in her desk. As Lelouch picked up the Time Table, he discovers that the Narita time log was marked with a faint-red rectangular marker. Upon seeing this, Lelouch may have a clue that will lead to Shirley's current whereabouts, along with a missing Hikaru.

For Lantis, he couldn't help but feel worried for Hikaru's safety too, along with her friends Umi and Fuu. Apart from her fellow Magic Knights, he knew Hikaru more better than either of them, despite the sins that she caused three years ago. In any other case, Hikaru was falling in love with the Magic Swordsman because it was what her heart was telling her deep down from the very beginning were they both first met. Not wanting to stand around any further for any miracle, Lantis stashed his combat armor and gear inside his customized Sutherland and embarked on another perilous journey to find and rescue Hikaru from whatever abducted her on the battlefield last night. As he is now wearing black and grey civilian clothes, Lantis is seen in a grey sweater, a black long sleeve shirt, a dark-green cap, dark-blue pants, and sunglasses before leaving the Black Knights' hideout and heading into Area 11.

When Lantis went to Narita, the place where his first battle in Japan took part in, he stumbled into a memorial area. Before he could press forward, Lantis hid behind some trees and bushes. As Lantis checked his surroundings from his hiding place, he spotted an young orange-haired woman walking up to the memorial site, with a young man in silver hair approach her from behind. Before Lantis could see where was this scene heading at, he started hearing the young man speak first towards the orange-haired woman. Unknown to Lantis, the man making his conversation is none other than Mao, the very same guy that almost got on Hikaru's nerves while in captivity.

If Lantis remembers correctly from what he learned after eavesdropping from Lelouch before leaving the Black Knights' hideout first, the young Britannian did mention that a girl named Shirley was spotted through Zero's Burai's nightvision cameras while hiding in the darkness last night. So that means that the girl standing out in the open is none other than Shirley Fennette the 17-year female Britannian Student from the Ashford Academy. Before Lantis knew what was going on, Shirley started sobbing as she kneeled in front of the young man while smirking underneath his teeth.

"So Shirley, are you playing the tragic heroine again, even though you kidnapped one of the Magic Knights after shooting down the second witness last night?!" Mao grinned in amusement. "A girl that kills, kidnaps, and goes fishing for attention?! Only evil witches do that!"

"NO I'M NOT DOING THAT!" Shirley shouted as she covered her ears in fear and deceit.

"Well, do you think capturing Hikaru personally is even worth it?! If it is, why did you not turn her over to the Britannians when you had the chance?!" Mao continued as he keeps putting the young woman under more pressure. "With such a hesitant behavior, you will have to pay the price for your actions, Shirley! Do you really want to burden yourself with these sins for the rest of your life? Because when Hikaru and her friends did in Cephiro's late leader and burdened themselves with their sins in sorrow, they were able to atone for them by doing the right thing for Cephiro's natives. Therefore, Hikaru was able to avoid paying the toll for her sins when they were able to save Cephiro from destruction. So if you weren't able to atone and free your heart like she did, then you and Lelouch will be consumed by your sins evermore!"

Unable to take it anymore with Mao's conversation with her, Shirley turned around and ran off while still sobbing as she covered her face with her hands and letting tears fall out of her sad eyes. After seeing Shirley disappear from the Memorials, Mao notices that her cellphone fell out of her pocket unnoticed. Without further a due, Mao picked up Shirley's phone, put it in his pocket, and let out an sinister laugh before turning his attention towards the bushes that Lantis is hiding.

"So Cephirian native, what do you think you're going to get after helping Lady Hikaru save her land from destruction, mmmm?!" Mao smirked.

As Lantis heard Mao's question, he reluctantly came out of the bushes and stepped forward a couple of feet away from the man speaking to him.

"I've been around Lady Hikaru for a long time in Cephiro. Since she has displayed her beliefs out on the battlefield to save me and my people, I was never ashamed at all!" Lantis spoke in a calm voice.

"Oh really?! Even after she killed your brother?!" Mao grinned while clapping his hands again. "Why did you let her get away with it? Is it because you couldn't risk sin?!"

"Zagato already made his choice even before he passed away!" Lantis grunted, feeling a little queasy from what Mao said. "We usually fight against our sins to live another day but since my brother didn't, I can't change him anymore when he fell in love. So, I let it all go! Therefore, I can't blame Hikaru for what she did because Zagato already done all of this on himself way before he faced her in battle."

"So, you insist on saving Hikaru from Shirley aren't you?!" Mao guessed, making Lantis sweat underneath his breath.

"I'll do anything to make Hikaru happy, besides we actually protect the people we love in order to preserve our honor, not aggravate our sins further!" Lantis continued, feeling anxious from what Mao is getting at.

"If that's true, what are you going to do when facing Shirley without your powers and your gear? Since you're not in your homeland anymore, you'll have to face different rules in Area 11, especially when facing Hikaru's enemies from the Britannian Empire because you don't have any power in this world!" Mao explained truthfully, while grinning at the Magic Swordsman.

"DOES IT EVEN MATTER?!" Lantis snapped at the Chinese Man with a loud, thunderous voice. "I'm still a warrior from Cephiro. So once a warrior will always be a warrior. You have no right to enter people's minds and use it against them. If you did something to Hikaru, I'll..."

"What? Are you going to take your rage out on me when you didn't after she killed your brother?!" Mao smirked. "Well, you won't escape your sins if you let your rage over your loved one get the best out of you. If you want to see Hikaru again, you better not lose sight of Shirley because she'll be facing Lelouch at sunset. See you then!"

Unable to come up with anymore words due to his stressful anger, Lantis clenched his fists while seeing Mao walk away from the Memorial. After Mao disappeared, Lantis turned around to face the statue at the Narita Memorial and ran back into the bushes to pinpoint Shirley's presence elsewhere.

"How could that man even know about my past?" Lantis muttered, fearing that someone else will get a wind of his story. "I must find Hikaru before its too late!"

* * *

Back inside the dark room where Hikaru was held, she was trying to find a way to break free from her confinement. While trying to discover a way to escape, Hikaru was thinking that if her friends or Zero are not going to be coming for her, she may need a backup plan to get out before her situation gets worse. Eventually, Hikaru spotted her magic glove on the floor a few inches from where she is tied up at. In Hikaru's thoughts, her glove must've came out of Shirley's pocket when she left the room in tears. Feeling confident in her opportunity to escape, Hikaru struggled as she jerked her chair forward and reached out her right foot to grab her glove. As soon as Hikaru's foot touched it, she dragged her glove towards her and lifted it up with both of her legs. In an instant, Hikaru's glove teleported itself back onto her right hand.

However, before Hikaru was able to do use her powers to escape, the doors opened again. This time, Shirley appeared before her with a gun drawn from underneath her school uniform. As she pointed the gun at Hikaru, Shirley stepped forward, not knowing that Hikaru finally got her powers back. In Hikaru's mind, she doesn't want to react yet; she and Shirley run into Zero or her friends yet. So, Hikaru did her best not to let Shirley get suspicious of her actions until the last possible moment.

"Hikaru, you are coming with me to meet up with Lelouch!" Shirley said grimly as she untied and held the Fire Knight in a headlock before heading out the door.

* * *

Meanwhile at the ruins of Narita, Lelouch was wandering aimlessly after starting with the Memorial not knowing where Shirley is. Just when his efforts are becoming more grim and useless, Lelouch's phone started beeping loudly from inside his pocket. As he held the phone in his right hand, Lelouch notices that he is receiving a call from Shirley. Just when he was about to respond, Lelouch hears something that is not coming from Shirley at all.

"Shirley, I'm here. Where are you calling from?!" Lelouch asked, only to hear a sinister laugh coming from behind.

"Where, indeed?!" Mao chuckled as he appeared behind Lelouch.

As Lelouch turned around, he sees Mao tossing Shirley's phone towards him on the ground.

"WHO ARE YOU?! What have you done to Shirley and Hikaru?!" Lelouch growled in anger.

"So scary, just like the face of the man for whom is woman is stolen away!" Mao smirked as he clapped his hands to his right.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO THEM?!" Lelouch roared in fury.

"If you want to know, then you'll have to go through a challenge with me first," Mao suggested as he took out a Knight Chess Piece from his pocket. "You do know what this thing is for, right?!"

Realizing that Mao is offering a challenge with Lelouch over Chess, he felt like he doesn't have any other choice but to go through what the Chinese man is saying.

Meanwhile at sunset, Lantis was silently pursuing Shirley from the shadows inside one of the abandoned buildings when all of a sudden, he sees Shirley holding Hikaru at gunpoint to the head at the railcar station with his binoculars. Upon seeing this, Lantis feared that if he makes one false move it will be the end for the Magic Knight of Fire. Now that Lantis doesn't have his powers or his sword with him, it's going to make things harder for him to deal with a hostage situation from afar. The only thing Lantis could do right now, is to sneak around unnoticed by Shirley while trying to get closer to her without getting caught. After he put his binoculars away, Lantis left the abandoned building and made his way up the stairs leading to the rail station above him before finding a hiding place right behind Shirley.

From another part of town, C.C was talking to a man on top of his motorcycle when all of a sudden, she spots Mao walking inside the railcar, in front of Lelouch. After taking a good look at the two, C.C's eyes widened as she realized that Mao cannot be beaten because unbeknownst to Lelouch, Mao has a Geass that allows him to read people's minds 500 meters apart from where he was standing. Not wanting to stand around letting Mao take advantage of Lelouch, C.C immediately grabbed the motorcycle and drove up the hill adjacent to where the railcar is heading, despite the complaints coming from the rider down below her. As C.C drove uphill, she makes her move in trying to keep Mao away from Lelouch by any means necessary.

As the two men are challenging each other on Chess, Lelouch started grunting and sweating that Mao is gaining the upper hand on the board game, despite the young Britannian's excellent board game skills. Before he even knew it, Lelouch realized that Mao got him trapped over his King getting confronted by Mao's Queen, much to Mao's chuckling. When the rail car stopped abruptly, it shook the chessboard, making all of its pieces fall off, with a few landing on the slanted floor between Lelouch and Mao.

"So, can we call this my game?" Mao asked, while smirking at Lelouch.

As Lelouch begins questioning himself over what is Mao's overall background really is, Mao immediately started answering Lelouch's questions from his head.

"Didn't C.C tell you anything about me?!" Mao said coldly as he lifted his visor below his eyes. "Of all 14 identities you were guessing from me, only one of them is totally correct."

When Lelouch looked up straight into Mao's eyes, he is shocked to realize that Mao has Geass too. Before Lelouch could say anymore, Mao started continuing his speech first about the Britannian's Geass.

"I see that your Geass is used to control people's minds once after making direct eye contact with them!"

"And your Geass can actually read people's minds?!" Lelouch snapped in a truthful manner.

"I call it Mind Reading!" Mao concluded.

"Tell me you didn't kill Shirley and Hikaru!" Lelouch shouted, feeling confused at his situation he's in.

"Of course, I didn't!" Mao smiled. "However, if you don't find a way to make it up to either of them, then you'll likely be killing those two women all at once. Even Hikaru's favorite warrior will not be able to stop this from happening."

Before Lelouch could ask anymore, he spots Shirley appear outside of the railcar, holding Hikaru with a headlock while putting the handgun at the side of her head.

"Shirley! Hikaru!" Lelouch gasped in horror.

"And now, let the punishment games begin!" Mao announced as he clapped his hands with delight.

Somewhere a few meters away behind Shirley at the top of the stairs, unknown to her, Lantis turns his head around the corner that he is hiding from only to see Lelouch get off the railcar but not before Mao comes up from behind and draws his gun at the young Britannian Prince. Up closer, he sees Shirley pointing the gun at Lelouch as well while still holding Hikaru in a headlock. Lantis maybe a Magic Swordsman from Cephiro, but now that he's dealing with a hostage situation, unlike last time when he attempted to rescue Hikaru from Eagle during Autozam's Invasion, the least he can do right now is wait until Shirley lets her guard down before he can move in and pin her to the ground. Before he can plan out any moves, Lantis hears Lelouch exclaiming to himself about what Shirley is doing right now.

"Shirley, that gun is..."

"Yes, it belonged to Zero; yours!" Shirley answered grimly, while keeping her grip on Hikaru.

"Why not use your Geass on her or Hikaru?!" Mao asked, making Lelouch's situation more dire. "You haven't used it on either of them!"

"Lelouch, what is he talking about?" Hikaru asked before Shirley shoved the gun up to her skull again, making her start sweating underneath her breath.

"Oh that's right, you were so confident in yielding to his allegiance earlier that you have not yet realize the risks of his supernatural powers, haven't you?!" Mao told Hikaru. "Because of your stubborn, reckless devoted behavior on the battlefield, you don't really see how mistrustful people can be until it is too late."

"I'm sorry I have to do this Hikaru, but you both need to pay for your sins against my father!" Shirley muttered ominously as she aimed the gun at Lelouch again.

"Even if you did use your Geass, I'll shoot you and that Magic Knight down myself!" Mao smirked as he drew out his handgun from underneath his light-blue jacket.

Realizing that he is cornered from both front and back, Lelouch started questioning to himself about what will become of the Black Knights now after this strategy game of cat and mouse. It's as if Lelouch's head was spinning round and round not being able to find a way to resolve this without getting him or Hikaru shot at.

"For a thief like you, this will be consider a more fitting death for you and Hikaru!" Mao grinned.

"Hikaru, Lelouch! Why won't you both die after you atone for your crimes in the past?" Shirley asked, not realizing that she's just being manipulated. "If you do that, I'll die along with you!"

"Wait, you don't mean...?!" Hikaru gasped, remembering about her last confrontation with Viletta Nu. "You actually shot Viletta last night, didn't you?!"

Lelouch was totally shocked, realizing that the blood from last night belonged to the 3rd witness, much to Mao's claim over Shirley's situation. While noticing that Shirley was being distracted by Lelouch, Hikaru emitted a little flame coming out from her magic glove and latched onto the ropes tied in the back of her hands.

"Yeah that's right! After Hikaru was knocked out cold, Shirley shot the 3rd witness in order to protect you and that Magic Knight, only to kidnap Hikaru without thinking properly!" Mao said, summarizing what the Britannian woman went through. "She did all of that just to protect both of your secrets from Britannia!"

"Let's end this!" Shirley muttered as she is about to pull the trigger from the handgun at Lelouch's face.

"Shirley, don't let this mad man fool you! He's just trying to..." Lelouch ordered before he was shouted back by Shirley Fennette.

"Seriously, Lelouch?! Let's face it, you're the one who's trying to trick her!" Mao presumed.

"STOP IT!" Shirley shrieked as she started shaking her gun arm.

"Shirley, I understand that we Magic Knights have to live with those crimes for the rest of our lives, but since they didn't blame us for what we did to Princess Emeraude and Zagato, we all have to move on, without filling our hearts with regret!" Hikaru shouted at the orange-haired girl. "But here, this is different! Murdering people here isn't going to solve anything at all, it's just going to make you even more regrettable than ever before!"

"Such admirable rhethoric!" Mao smirked.

"Did you really kill anyone last night?!" Lelouch asked Shirley while pointing at Mao. "He didn't just make you think you did, right?!"

"You can't change the truth, Lelouch. Because she has already realized the sins that she just caused before taking Hikaru into her custody!" Mao concluded as he stepped aside from Shirley's line of fire.

"Shirley, please!" Lelouch shouted.

"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP?!" Shirley shouted as she threw Hikaru to the ground and fired the gun, missing Lelouch by a few inches from his face and above his shoulder.

As Lelouch fell backwards down the stairs, several pictures of him and Shirley came out of his sweater, with him landing on the stairs a few feet down from where he was standing. Upon seeing all the pictures she took with Lelouch, Shirley was paralyzed in shock as she let her guard down for a few seconds.

Before Hikaru fell on her stomach, she finally broke free from her restraints with her Fire magic and landed on both of her hands on the stairs instead, with her left one close to her face and her right one on a stair below her stomach. Simultaneously, Lantis came out of his hiding spot from around the corner and pinned Shirley down to her right. In an instant, Shirley started struggling with Lantis.

"LET ME GO!" Shirley screamed as she kicked wildly while being held by both of her wrists by Lantis himself.

As Lantis lifted her up off the ground while pulling her wrists up, Hikaru gets back up and walks up to Shirley while being restrained against her own will. The moment Shirley sees Hikaru in her sights, she felt a loud "Smack" across her left cheek. It gave Shirley a light-red bruise on her face before turning around to face Hikaru again. In short, Hikaru slapped Shirley in order to make her stop struggling with Lantis.

"GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" Hikaru ordered at the top of her lungs.

"H-Hikaru?" Shirley gasped as she felt a bit of pain coming from her lips.

"Shirley, I can't blame you for your behavior earlier and when you captured me after being found out by the Baroness of Britannia. However, even though your father was accidentally killed because of us, you still don't have any excuse in trying to get revenge out on me and Lelouch." Hikaru glared at Shirley with a stern look. "You're not the only one who had to face something as dire as this! I was made a similar example of, just like Lelouch. You see, I was afraid of Lantis after killing his brother because I thought he won't love me back. But I fell in love with him because it was our will and our fate that brought us together. He let it all go because in my point of view, it all started off with a tragic misunderstanding. It's just like what Lantis said to me back there: I really shouldn't blame myself after what happened three years ago in the other world. He already saw right through me from the start. From what Lelouch has been through, you can't really get revenge on him because even he didn't realize the tragic misunderstandings that occurred back at Narita. You have to move on, Shirley! Everyone does! Even I have to move on. If you don't, your sins will become more worse and your honor will diminish! Do you understand me?! "

After hearing every word Hikaru just said to her, Shirley felt even more helpless in not being able to do anything other than let her grief and her rage get the best out of her. Even as a Britannian, Shirley started cowering before the stern Magic Knight while Hikaru kept staring at her in disappointment and foolishness.

"What Hikaru is trying to say is, getting revenge over the loss over your family isn't always the best answer. I knew that one day Zagato's love over Emeraude will be what will drive both of them into the brink of madness and mayhem," Lantis said, trying to summarize up what the Knight of Fire is elaborating. "I'm nothing like my brother Zagato and Hikaru is nothing like Princess Emeraude. The least you can do is make up for your losses by starting all over again."

"You really think you two can get through Shirley's head like that?!" Mao asked as he taunted both Hikaru and Lantis. "Let's face it, Lelouch is a murderer and must be punished. Period! End of story!"

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, MAO!" Hikaru angrily snapped as she face Mao and drew out her broadsword but not before Lantis put his hand on her right shoulder, telling her to stand down. "You no longer have any business here. NOW BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT!"

"Alright fine, you win!" Mao grunted, feeling a bit defeated as he went back onto the rail car.

"Ugh!" Lelouch grunted as he slowly got up while holding his right arm.

"Lelouch, are you okay?!" Hikaru asked out of worry.

"I'm fine, my shoulder was just grazed," Lelouch said while walking up the stairs to where Hikaru, Shirley, and Lantis are at.

The moment Lantis lets go of Shirley, she fainted out of fright and collapsed into Lelouch's arms. Meanwhile back in the rail car, Mao refuses to give up on the situation that Shirley and Lelouch are in. So, he took out a rifle to finish both Lelouch and Shirley off. However, before he could get out of the rail car, Mao felt the ground below shook as the doors around the car closed on him. As Mao realized that he is head downwards inside the rail car he peeked out the window to look at what's going on around him. Before he knew it, Mao saw someone else that he didn't think he'll see again from the past. It was C.C. C.C was seen on the other side of the rail car as she activated the rail car controls inside the control booth while aiming her gun at Mao from outside of his window.

"C.C! It's you, isn't it?! It's really you! We finally meet again!" Mao cheered as he took off his glasses and his headphones.

As the headphone fell on one of the seats, it started blaring out C.C's recording voices.

"Mao? Are you awake Mao?"

"It's alright Mao!"

"See Mao, I knew you could do it!"

"Thank you, Mao!"

"Oh C.C, you look lovely as always!" Mao smiled as he stared at the green-haired girl from the rail car window. "Don't worry C.C, I'll come back for you. I promise!"

As the rail car disappears from plain view, C.C couldn't help but notice that Mao would appear among random people at a time like this. For Lelouch, Shirley, Hikaru, and Lantis, the Magic Knight and Swordsman stood several steps above from where the two Britannian Students are in silence. Before Hikaru could come up to either of them, Lantis held her by the shoulder and shook his head. It confirms that this is between Lelouch and Shirley from here on out.

"Shirley, are you okay?!" Lelouch said out of concern.

"Lelouch, I-I shot someone..." Shirley sobbed as she stared at Lelouch helplessly. "I even tried to kidnap..."

"I'm sorry, Shirley. This is my fault that all this had to happen!" Lelouch confessed as he embraced Shirley in his arms.

"I-I shot you and almost shot Hikaru!" Shirley told Lelouch as she whimpered while hugging him back.

"Please forgive me, Shirley!" Lelouch suggested. "Your sins are mine to bear, along with the rest of everyone else."

"M-My father is dead!" Shirley wailed.

"It's alright, Shirley. It's just like what Hikaru said: You have to move on and forget about everything bad that happened!" Lelouch told his girlfriend as he activated his Geass. "I'm sorry about what happened to your father. If only I could be reborn into something more better..."

"LELOUCH, PLEASE NO!" Shirley screamed before her mind went totally blank.

Before Shirley even knew it, Lelouch took her memories away from her, starting from what happened at Narita.

* * *

At nightfall, Lantis was able to safely bring Hikaru back to Umi and Fuu at their favorite bakery. Upon seeing Hikaru appear before them all in one piece, both Knights of Wind and Water ran up to her and hugged Hikaru in their arms while crying in tears of happiness. Feeling guilty for getting captured, Hikaru hugged them back while letting tears come out of her eyes in silent. For Lantis, he stood there with a small smile on his face, feeling relieved that Hikaru was able to make it through the day, despite being held hostage by Shirley and Mao.

As for Lelouch, he took Shirley to the Memorial Grave back at Narita where he'll allow Shirley to start all over again. This time, Shirley spoke like she doesn't remember anything at all and changed her story by asking Lelouch other questions unrelated to her family.

"So Lelouch, did you lose your family?"

"No, I only lost an important friend," Lelouch replied, feeling guilty for erasing Shirley's memories. "It is just how I was saved by her smile. As of now, I'll never be able to argue or laugh with her again."

"I see," Shirley said, nonchalantly. "Did you love her?"

"I don't know anymore," Lelouch replied as he looked down toward his feet.

"I don't remember why I bother coming to this place, anyway," Shirley spoke calmly. "Maybe it's because I'm expected to leave my past behind. Well, there's still things that can't be forgotten, as well as sad things too. Though, the morning will still come and you shouldn't try to hold your thoughts back anymore."

"I guess you're right," Lelouch smiled weakly. "Thank you for everything!"

As Lelouch turned away from Shirley, he disappeared back into the darkness, leaving Shirley questioning to herself on where Lelouch is getting at.

* * *

While Hikaru went back to her dorm at Ashford Academy, she is still wondering on what happened to Viletta Nu, the baroness that she fought earlier. From what she learned from Shirley before losing her memories, Hikaru is suspecting that Viletta might be the 3rd witness that saw through her while inside her Rune God before getting shot at by Shirley. As Hikaru put her clothes away and put on her sleeveless nightgown, she fell on the top of her bed, collapsed after her one day of life and death. After pulling her blanket up to her chin, Hikaru stared at the ceiling while giving into her thoughts from what Mao told her.

Flashback:

 _"Why did you continue to fight as a Magic Knight in another country? Is it for sins or for honor?!"_

 _"I understand what I did was sinful but it's still never too late to do the right thing for Cephiro. Besides, even Umi and Fuu realized this too. So, we came back to discover who are we really fighting for!" Hikaru responded with self-determination. "When we finally did the right thing for the people we love, we Magic Knights finally fought for the honor that we all deserve!"  
_

 _"Then I guess, you all were fighting in another country for honor, eh?!" Mao sneered. "But what about your honor in your own homeland?! Are you still going to display that same belief when fighting to save your family and all of Japan from certain death or are you going to cause more sins here that'll put you down on the wrong path forever?!"_

 _"Only time will tell, Mao!" Hikaru glared at him._

End of Flashback.

"I hope I can display my honor to both Cephiro and Japan when protecting them from Britannia," Hikaru muttered to herself.

As Hikaru changed the subject, she is starting to sense that Viletta is out there, despite what may have happened between the baroness and Shirley.

"I hope I can find Viletta Nu out there," Hikaru thought as she slowly close her eyes before falling asleep. "Something is telling me that Viletta hasn't told anyone about me yet."


	12. What happened to Viletta Nu?

Chapter 12: "What happened to Viletta Nu?!"

Flashback: Takes place immediately after Hikaru and Zero are out cold in front of Shirley and Viletta...

 _After getting shot by a confused Shirley Fennette, Viletta collapsed on the ground, badly wounded. When Shirley winded up kidnapping Hikaru, unknown to the Britannian Baroness, Viletta slowly gets up on her feet with her hands onto a nearby storage container only to find Shirley and Hikaru disappear from plain sight. Viletta was thinking about going after those two. However, as she looked at herself, Viletta noticed that she sees blood coming out from her lower abdomen. While in pain, Viletta couldn't decide if she were to call in backup or find help in order to treat her of her injuries. As Viletta struggled to move away from the scene after seeing Zero's true identity and Hikaru on sight, she clutched onto her fresh wound while making her way out of the storage container area. However, because she lost so much blood, Viletta was going in and out of consciousness. Before she can see what was going on around her, Viletta fell into a off the port and collapsed while muttering to herself about someone being Zero and Hikaru being a Magic Knight._

* * *

Yesterday, after the Black Knights retreated from their assault upon Cornelia at the port, Ohgi is starting to have some personal doubts to himself about what happened last night when the JLF tanker blew up in the middle of the sea. As he started get drowned in his thoughts, the other Black Knights were all celebrating while Tamaki started drinking his favorite alcohol while laughing his face off. They find themselves inside their trailer and sitting down during their R & R. Even though the Black Knights survived another battle with Cornelia, several of them couldn't stop thinking from the fact that they still couldn't get anywhere close to the Viceroy before finishing her off.

"I can't believe it!" Tamaki complained while holding his bottle of alcohol with his left hand. "We were so close in taking down that Viceroy when that blasted White Knightmare showed up again! We had her right there!"

"What's worse is that Cornelia almost finished off Hikaru after she failed to stop the Lancelot in his tracks!" One of the Black Knights added in.

"I hope we can beat that White Knightmare one of these days!" Kallen said in a persisting tone of voice while reading a black-covered book in her hands. "It may be either me or Hikaru that needs to deal with him!"

"Don't sweat it, Kallen!" Another Black Knight said in sympathy. "Hikaru was pretty amazing when she took on Cornelia's Knight in Narita, especially when she fought with you and your Guren!"

"DON'T REMIND ME!" Kallen snapped in embarrassment over her defeat with one of the Magic Knights. "If my Knightmare gets upgraded someday, I'll demand a rematch with her!"

"Good luck with that, Kallen!" Tamaki laughed.

"What about the JLF? Why did their Tanker blow up last night?!" Ohgi asked to himself, while being heard from by Tamaki.

"Obviously, they self-destructed the moment the Britannians got close to them!" Tamaki answered.

"I thought we were to help them at the docks after we made contact with them!?" Ohgi said, denying Tamaki's claim.

"Well, Zero took action after they sacrificed themselves!" Tamaki continued. "Oh, I get it. They just want to see Zero's true face! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"You're not doubting Zero are you?!" Kallen asked, concerning over what Ohgi is getting at.

Just as Ohgi was about to make his statements in front of Kallen, Diethard appeared from above the stairs and walked down to join in the conversation with the Black Knights lounging around.

"The timing that Zero made was too convenient," The Britannian Journalist spoke, confidently. "Even if Zero was behind JLF's suicidal act, what are you guys going to do about it?! Well let's face it, if the Magic Knights were able to sacrifice everything to save Cephiro from destruction then so can Zero! You all have to accept my assessments; it's part of my job, you know?! Isn't that right, Ohgi?!"

"Um, sure. Whatever you say." Ohgi said, still unconvinced about what Zero is up to.

* * *

Even at sunset, Ohgi still couldn't stop thinking about the battle that took place at port last night. Despite the rest of the Black Knights telling him to move on, Ohgi went up to the pier where the previous battle was held at. As the Deputy Commander walked up to the port, he continues to make thoughts for himself.

"You not yourself yesterday Ohgi," The Deputy Commander said to himself. "Why am I still getting the feeling that Zero isn't doing the right thing for us and the Magic Knights?"

Before he could say anymore to himself, Ohgi looks down and spots a trail of blood leading down below from where he was standing. The blood trail led straight to a pile of rubble. Somewhere within the rubble, Ohgi spots an injured woman lying on her stomach, unaware that it was Viletta Nu, the Elite Soldier of the Holy Britannian Empire. Shocked by such a sight, Ohgi comes down to the rubble to check on the woman only to discover that she is still alive.

"What the?!" Ohgi gasped. "Hey, are you alright?! Can you hear me?"

As Viletta started grunting while unconscious, she started muttering about who Zero is.

"I-I didn't k-know it was you all a-along! Z-Zero, H-Hikaru!" Viletta muttered, not being able to open up her eyes due to her injuries.

Upon hearing what the injured woman just said, Ohgi gasped even more from the fact that she knows something about Zero and Hikaru. Unable to come up with any ideas at the moment, Ohgi quickly took the injured woman all the way to his house before treating her of her injuries.

* * *

End of Flashback, now back to the present:

At 6:00am, Hikaru wakes up to start a whole new day as she got out of her bed, undressed her nightgown, put on her school uniform, brushed her teeth, ate breakfast, and headed out of her dorm to meet up with Umi and Fuu. Feeling lost in not being able to find Viletta during the time she was held captive by Shirley, Hikaru walked down the hallway in a happy, nonchalant behavior. As she went to class, Hikaru spotted Shirley speaking to a group of female Britannian students outside of their class.

After the girls left, Shirley turns around to face Hikaru. Only this time, Shirley blinked her eyes for a bit, as if she doesn't remember who Hikaru really was last night. Thankfully, Hikaru was grateful that Lelouch did away Shirley's memories, in which displayed her dark-crazed emotions that the Britannian girl earlier. If Lelouch hadn't did what he had to do in order to put Shirley down without violence or death, Shirley may ended up ratting Hikaru out to the authorities in no time at all. Furthermore, if Shirley's memories weren't erased, Hikaru's friends would also be in danger of having their identities exposed to the Holy Britannian Empire and their mission in saving Cephiro from them will go up in smoke. Right now, she just smiled before Shirley moved on to catch up with her other friends in school.

After Shirley disappeared down the stairs in the hallway, Hikaru met up with Umi and Fuu feeling confident and cheerful as ever. However, Umi and Fuu were a bit concerned with what happened to Hikaru during the time she went missing after their previous fight with Viceroy Cornelia. Ever since Umi and Fuu were relieved to see Hikaru again, they were too traumatized to discuss on what happened to Hikaru yesterday so they waited until tomorrow morning to get to the bottom of all this. Not wanting to let anyone else hear their conversation, Hikaru directed Umi and Fuu to the storage closet before answering any of Umi and Fuu's questions.

"So Ms. Hikaru, what happened to you yesterday?!" Fuu asked out of concern for the safety of the Knight of Fire.

"Well, there was a bit of dispute between me and Shirley Fennette," Hikaru replied in a nervous tone. "She found out about who I really am so I have no choice but to have Zero and Lantis put her down immediately before she gets worse!"

"But how did Shirley find out?!" Umi asked, with her eyes widened with shock.

"Let's just say that Viletta brought her in no-man's land as bait to lure Zero in," Hikaru answered briefly.

"Wait, you Ms. Viletta was...?" Fuu asked before Hikaru continued with her sentence.

"That Baroness was already onto us ever since we ran into her when rescuing those villagers from her men earlier!"

"She must be pretty stubborn to think she can take us on all at once!" Umi grunted in annoyance.

"The only thing I could remember before I was captured by Shirley is when Viletta hurled something electrical at my face!" Hikaru huffed. "The next thing I knew, I woke up only to find Shirley interrogating me alone!"

"If that's true, then what happened to Viletta Nu?!" Umi asked further.

"That's the thing! Viletta wasn't there when I got taken in by Shirley!" Hikaru summarized before she continue with the rest of the story of what happened between her, Shirley, Mao, and Lelouch.

Upon hearing everything that Hikaru had to say from yesterday, Fuu and Umi all gasped in shock, realizing that Hikaru ran into a guy that might put their undercover mission at risk.

"So this Mao guy can actually read people's minds?!" Umi asked, trying to get the full picture.

"Yes. He was getting on my nerves when he brought up our past three years ago during our adventures in Cephiro!" Hikaru said grimly.

"If that's true, we should try to go after him, Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu suggested, referring to Mao himself. "If we don't, he'll expose our identities as Magic Knights to the Britannian authorities!"

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Fuu!" Hikaru denied. "If Mao reads our minds while we were trying to hunt him down, he might take advantage of us by exploiting our weak points mentally! After all, that'll be something that C.C and Zero need to deal with personally."

"Are you sure, Ms. Hikaru?!" Fuu asked, concerning our what Mao is planning to do.

"I had a talk with C.C before I went back to my dorm last night after being reunited with you guys at the bakery," Hikaru added in.

* * *

Flashback: Last night, one hour after Hikaru left the bakery...

 _As Hikaru made her way back to the Ashford Academy, she sees C.C appear at the main entrance in a calm pose. Before Hikaru could ask C.C anything, the green-haired girl approached her as she started making a serious conversation with the Fire Knight._

 _"Since you have seen too much from Mao before Shirley held you as her hostage, you be better off dealing with the other witness that saw your identity last night!" C.C suggested in a grim tone of voice._

 _"What are you going to do about Mao then?" Hikaru asked. "Because he sounded like that he already knew about you even before you met either Zero or me!"_

 _"Since he has a supernatural power that allows him to read people's minds from 500 meters away from where he's standing at, he'll be hard to predict on where he'll show up at!" C.C explained further. "I've known him for a long time. Unlike you and the rest of your fellow Magic Knights, Mao was only 9 years old when I met him and took care of him. Since he didn't have any parents that could take care of him, I was the only person in Mao's little world. He didn't know how to read or write before then. However, as time went on, he didn't fulfill my contract after being with him for 8 years. So, I was just using him from the start. But Mao didn't give up on me. Instead, he vowed that he'll met me again somewhere in the future, as of now!"_

 _"So, you're saying that even if you gave up on Mao after helping him out a bit, he got very obsessed with you?!" Hikaru asked, making her even more worried about her friends._

 _"I wasn't addressed as "the witch" for nothing!" C.C spoke in a stern tone. "He may have been trying to expose Zero's identity and attempted to use you as bait to lure him out in the open. However, I'm the only person that he is after the most! He'll make threats in front of people like you just to get my attention. So, I'll have to deal with Mao on my own, without you or Zero! Starting tomorrow, I do need to speak with Lelouch first before I make my move against Mao."  
_

 _"Well, good luck then!" Hikaru said as she let C.C pass her before moving on._

 _When C.C is about to leave Hikaru alone, she turns around and gave her a smile before disappearing into the darkness._

 _"I understand that Hikaru has very strong powers that are far more greater than Lelouch's Geass, but I don't want to risk letting her get too much attention when using them in personal fights with her enemies; at least not here!" C.C thought to herself as she walked away from Hikaru._

* * *

 _"_ Wow, that witch sure got you there Hikaru!" Umi gasped in amazement. "I didn't think that she knows Mao more than anyone does out there. I'm mean, what kind of witch uses people just to repay them with their obsession?"

"There is still some things we don't know about C.C yet," Hikaru added in. "Anyway, we may need to find Viletta Nu after school!"

"Understood, Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu acknowledged.

As Umi and Fuu went out of the closet and headed to their other classes, Hikaru receives a phone call from Ohgi.

"Ohgi, what's up?!" Hikaru spoke through her phone.

"Hikaru, some woman was spouting your name while she was going in and out of consciousness," Ohgi replied from Hikaru's phone. "Can you met me at my house?"

"Sure, where is your house?!" Hikaru answered as she asked for info from Ohgi.

* * *

Back in Cephiro:

Clef appeared at the balcony of the Castle of Cephiro to see a bright sky shine down upon his beloved country with the NSX, the Dome of Fahren, and the Chizetian Bravada floating above from where he was standing. As he looked down from the balcony, Clef sees numerous Cephirian soldiers and officers refurbishing their new customized Knightmares. Thanks to the training given to them by some of the Black Knights residing with Rakshata, the Cephirian soldiers were able to fully adapt to their customized Sutherlands while sparring with each other out on the training field. Next to the Master Mage, Geo Metro appeared before him, accompanied by a Autozamian officer. As Geo handed Clef the Army Roster, he discovered that about 1,000 Knightmares have been secured, customized, and handled by the Autozamian soldiers and Cephirian soldiers. Upon seeing this, Clef felt a bit relieved that they might be able to get the upper hand in using Britannia's weapons against them. However, Clef still couldn't help but worry of what will become of the Magic Knights back in their own world during Britannia's invasion. Before Clef could say anything to Geo, Rakshata appeared from behind the two while smoking her pipe again.

"So Clef, what do you think so far?!"

"I still fear that we may not have enough Cephirian troops to fight back against Britannia out there!" Clef said in a worried tone. "Even if the Magic Knights were able to help out Zero and the Black Knights back in Area 11, they'll still be outnumbered if we don't make our move from Cephiro. As soon as we're ready, we have to meet up with the Black Knights at a safe area where the Britannias will not notice our presence."

"What about the new upgrades for Hikaru's, Umi's, and Fuu's Rune Gods?" Geo asked Rakshata. "Are they ready yet?!"

"Why indeed, they are!" Rakshata said, cheerfully. "However, we still need to find a way to head back to Area 11 in order to send their upgrades directly to them."

As Rakshata handed over a folder containing the files revolving around the new upgrades for the Magic Knight's Rune Gods, Geo and Clef took a good look at it before they could say anymore. Upon see what was inside the folder, Geo stared at it in shock and awe.

"Heh! Heh! Heh! This is going to be totally wicked!" Geo smirked with delight.

"This may help give the Magic Knights more magical abilities." Clef muttered in shock before asking Rakshata. "Is there any risks that the Magic Knights must be aware of?"

"Since their upgrades are enhanced by Sakuradite, their could suffer from overheating their powers if they used to too much!" Rakshata warned them. "At this rate, it takes several seconds before it cools down!"

"I see! Well, we need to let the Magic Knights know in advance in case they do something reckless out there with their new upgrades!" Geo suggested. "I have their upgrades onboard the NSX!"

As soon as Geo, Rakshata, and Clef went back inside the castle, Commander Topaz appeared before them to make another report about the enemy in their country.

"Master Mage Clef, we have received word that Prince Clovis' airship has been spotted in Cephiro's airspace, 2,000 meters ahead and is approaching the Castle!" Topaz announced out loud.

"Geo! Have your men prep the NSX for battle! Topaz, have your soldiers deploy the garrisons and their Knightmares! And send have Tarta and Aska get their men into position!" Clef ordered the two commanders. "We don't know what they're going to do as soon as they're in range yet! We also need to contact the Magic Knights as well!"

"Understood, sir!" Both of the Commanders said in unison as they saluted the Master Mage.

* * *

Inside the Armory, Presea and Caldina are working on their customized Knightmares. Presea's Knightmare happens to be a Brown and Orange Agravain and Caldina's personalized Knightmare happens to be a Yellow and White Vincent Glinda. They're both 7th generation Knightmare Frame that was secured during a raid upon a Britannian encampment owned by a group of Glaston Knights. However, thanks to Fuu, Ferio, and their platoon, they were able to defeat and capture the two Glaston Knights and had them both publicly executed, leaving their remaining Knightmares taken care of by Presea and Caldina. After repairing and rearming both 7th generation Knightmares thanks to Autozam and Rakshata, Presea's Agravain is armed with 2 Hadron Cannons and 2 Maser Vibration Swords and Caldina's Vincent Glinda is armed with 2 Hip-mounted Slasher Harkens, 2 Lance-Type Maser Vibration Swords, and 2 Elbow Mounted Needle Blazers, and a Anti-Knightmare Lance.

"So sugar, did ya feel nervous when handling the Agravain during your training?" Caldina asked Presea, trying to brighten up the female blacksmith in a cheerful tone.

"Well, I'm feeling a bit shaken after being trained by the Black Knight officers on how to operate it," Presea said nervously. "The last time I tried out its Hadron Cannons during shooting practice, I accidentally blew up several trees next to an abandoned village hovel. It kind of freaked me out, that these Knightmares hold such massive technological power like Autozam does!"

"It's alright, sugar! I had a lot of fun with this bad boy, Vincent Glinda!" Caldina laughed. "When I took it for a test drive when helping out Commander Topaz ambush that one Britannian Convoy at the river, I was on fire! Don't worry Presea, I'm sure you'll get the hang of your Knightmare very soon!"

As Caldina grinned and cackled some more, Commander Topaz showed up as he made his entrance into the Armory.

"Attention everyone!" Topaz announced. "A Britannian Flagship has been spotted 2,000 meters away from our Castle! Get all of your available Knightmares and troops out front and stand by for battle!"

Upon hearing Topaz announcement, Caldina and Presea put away their equipment before they went onboard their customized Knightmares. As Presea took a deep breath from inside the cockpit of her Agravain, a channel popped out and revealed Caldina in a happy mood.

"Just relax, Presea! Stay by me and everything is going to be okay!" Caldina spoke in a confident tone.

"Okay, thanks!" Presea acknowledged as she and Caldina powered up their 7th generation Knightmares.

* * *

Meanwhile onboard the Britannian Flagship, Clovis, Euphy, and Cornelia are all sitting at their seats at the bridge while their subjects are operating at their stations as they pulled out several screens. They were able to have their flagship enter Cephiro airspace thanks to a built-in jumpspace teleporter that was developed by Cecil and Lloyd back at the Government Bureau in the Tokyo Settlement. The moment the two Princesses and the Prince of Britannia looked closely at several of them, Cornelia was the first to notice that Cephiro's soldiers are using the Knightmare Frames that they stole from their army in full operation.

"Unbelievable!" Cornelia huffed in dismay. "Those Cephirian pipsqueaks think they can mock me by using our weapons against us?!"

"Easy there, Cornelia!" Clovis told his sister with sympathy. "As long as those Magic Knight Elevens aren't in Cephiro right now, they still wouldn't stand a chance against us even if they stole some of our Knightmare Frames!"

"Well, don't forget that Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren still need to be dealt with!" Euphy told her elder brother and sister. "They can be just as threatening as the Magic Knights are!"

"Right, right!" Clovis replied in embarrassment. "From what our scouts reported, Tarta and Tatra are leading Chizeta's forces as their twin princesses and Princess Aska is leading the forces of Fahren. For Autozam, Sub-Commander Geo Metro is running their show here."

"I bet those Magic Knight Elevens were able to get through their thick skulls of theirs before Cephiro founded their own little empire!" Cornelia smirked in annoyance. "Ever since Clovis' G-1 Base is destroyed at Mt. Dakurd, we're not setting up any base camps anywhere this time. Instead, we'll drop our troops into the forests surrounding Cephiro's Castle. General Darlton and Lord Guilford will be leading their assault forces in attacking the castle's garrisons head on."

"You're not going to battle with the Cephirians?" Clovis asked.

"I'll be moving in with my reserve squads next, while Guilford and Darlton keep Cephiro's forces and their allies at bay!" Cornelia continued. "Clovis, you and Euphy are to order the ship to give out supporting fire from above the Castle's garrisons."

"Even if we did break through their defenses, the Magic Knights will show up in a matter of minutes before we even have the chance to breach the castle's keep!" Euphy warned Cornelia.

"It won't matter, the moment they arrive on the battlefield in Cephiro it'll be too late for them because we're going to perform a lighting strike assault into the Castle's weak points!" Cornelia denied in self-confidence. "I'm sure Viletta Nu will be taking care of those Magic Knight Elevens back in Area 11 before they arrive in Cephiro again."

As Cornelia got up and left the bridge to prep her Knightmare, she smirked underneath her breath thinking that her campaign against Cephiro will be a lot more easier to accomplish now that the Magic Knights are back in Area 11 now. What she didn't know is that Viletta Nu failed to report back to them about the info revolving around the Magic Knights of Cephiro.

* * *

Back in Area 11, Hikaru arrived at Ohgi's house at 3:00pm after school. The moment she approached the door, Hikaru knocked on it a few times to get a response from the Black Knight Deputy Commander. After waiting for 2 minutes, Ohgi finally opened the doors and greeted Hikaru up front. The moment Ohgi let Hikaru into his house, she sits down on the couch across from where Ohgi is sitting at, with a table in between the two inside the living room. After taking a deep breath, Hikaru sees another woman appear from the doorways. As soon as Hikaru noticed the woman, she noticed something seems off. Hikaru may have defined her as Viletta Nu, but instead of her ruthless attitude on the battlefield and from the Fire Knight's past childhood, the silver-haired woman was smiling in a calm pose and was wearing different clothes, apart from what she was wearing while out on the battlefield.

"So, are you a friend of Ohgi?" The woman spoke calmly as she smiled at Hikaru.

"Why yes I am," Hikaru said in a nervous tone.

"Would you like some tea?" The woman asked, nonchalantly.

"Sure!" Hikaru responded positively.

After the woman disappeared into the kitchen, Hikaru decided to kill some time by asking Ohgi on what is he calling her over to his house for.

"So Ohgi, what were you saying about that woman spouting out my name?!"

"I thought she might have discovered about your true identity as a Magic Knight," Ohgi assumed. "I did tried asking her name first but she was wounded when I first saw her."

"When was this?" Hikaru asked.

"I was just getting a little too distracted on what Zero is trying to do back there yesterday when I found that woman badly injured but still breathing," Ohgi explained. "After I brought her in and treated her of her injuries, I was about to interrogate her. However, as soon as she woke up, she didn't actually have any memory of what she said or did back there at all. She doesn't even remember her own name. It's as if I pick a bad time to check up on her! I called you in to see if you can recognize her from the start."

Before Ohgi could say anymore, the silver-haired woman appeared again. This time, she was carrying a tray containing two tea cups and a tea kettle with both of her hands. The moment she put the tray onto the table between Hikaru and Ohgi, they both took sips of their tea before the silver-haired woman left the living room.

"Now that you mentioned it, I did remember seeing a woman called Viletta Nu on the battlefield. She happens to be the Baroness of the Holy Britannian Empire and one of the pilots commandeering their Sutherlands against us." Hikaru explained briefly to Ohgi.

"Are you sure?!" Ohgi asked after taking another sip of tea from his tea cup.

"The last time I saw her was when she was about to capture Zero back at the docks two nights ago!" Hikaru continued. "It didn't take her that long for her to figure out that I was one of the Magic Knights."

"So, what did you do?!" Ohgi asked further.

"I was out cold after that Britannian witch hurled an EMP grenade at my face!" Hikaru grunted in humiliation. "I thought for sure that Viletta would bring me in, but instead some Britannian female student from Ashford Academy did in an isolated room."

"But how did you get away?"

"Let's just say that I had backup from Lantis and that there was a bit of a tragic misunderstanding with that student's family," Hikaru explained briefly as she took another sip of tea. "Not that it matters anymore, I'm still concerned about what Viletta is up to and why she didn't rat me out to the Britannian Empire yet. That woman in your house looked very familiar! She might not be what I think she is, right?!"

"Are you saying that she might be Baroness Viletta, the one that spotted you inside Rayearth?" Ohgi gasped in horror. "If that's true, we may need to put her in a more safe, securer area before we can fully interrogate her!"

"Not yet, Ohgi! For now, just take care of her until she gets her memories back," Hikaru suggested to the Deputy Commander. "If that woman is really Viletta Nu, you might as well let me know as soon as possible and don't get anywhere near her until I get there. I won't tell anyone about this, okay?!"

"I understand, Hikaru!" Ohgi replied, while sweating nervously under his breath. "So tell me, if what you're saying is true how do you think you're going to deal with her?!"

After hearing what Ohgi said, Hikaru got lost in her thoughts over that woman not knowing what to do yet. However, before Ohgi could ask Hikaru any further, the Flame Knight makes her speech in a calm tone of voice.

"I'll figure something out later on, Ohgi. For now, just don't lose sight of her!"

"Thank you, Hikaru!" Ohgi acknowledged as he sees the Flame Knight get up and left his house.

The moment Hikaru went outside, her medallion started vibrating again. As Hikaru took out her medallion and it shined another light-screen, Clef appeared before her.

"Hikaru! Britannia Empire is making another move against Cephiro. Have Zazu, Umi, Fuu, Lantis, Ferio, and Lafarga met up with you at the Sakuradite Gateway in the Black Knight HQ for departure. We need your help again!" Clef announced towards the Knight of Fire.

"Understood, Clef!" Hikaru replied as she ran off after putting her medallion away into her pocket.

* * *

The moment she arrived at the Black Knight HQ, Hikaru immediately met up with all 6 of her friends at the portal, much to the Fire Knight's surprise.

"How did you guys get here so fast?!" Hikaru asked, feeling a bit shocked.

"I'm still able to hear Clef's voice in my mind, despite not being able to use my powers in your world!" Lantis answered. "I already told the others about this."

"Are ya sure you don't want us Black Knights to tag along with ya?!" Tamaki asked while activating the gateway to Cephiro.

"Sorry Mr. Tamaki, but you need to stay here and report to us if something is happening back in Area 11 this time!" Fuu told the Captain of the second Black Knights squad.

"Just don't get too crazy my lady!" Tamaki said as he made a bow in front of the Magic Knights.

"Besides, the Armies of Cephiro need help in preparing themselves for battle in Area 11!" Lafarga added as he went onboard his Gloucester.

The moment Lantis and Ferio went onboard their Sutherland and Burai Kai, Zazu and Hikaru went inside Lantis' Knightmare while Umi and Fuu went inside Lafarga's Knightmare. After several seconds of handling the gateway controls, it powered up once again and revealed a huge, purple swirl with electricity flaring out from both sides of the gateway. It can only mean that the portal is open to Cephiro.

"Ready girls?!" Lafarga asked the Magic Knights while from inside his Knightmare.

"Ready!" All three Magic Knights said in unison.

Upon hearing the Magic Knights' acknowledgement, Lafarga, Umi, and Fuu were the first to enter through the portal and disappeared. Next, Ferio and his Knightmare proceeded through the portal. Lastly, Lantis, Hikaru, and Zazu went through as they held onto Lantis' seat inside his cockpit. After all seven people and three of their Knightmares disappeared through the portal, Tamaki turned off the gateway immediately and took a deep breath.

"I wonder what it'll be like if Cephiro fights back in Area 11?" Tamaki asked to himself as he took out another beer.


	13. Cornelia's Sneak Attack

Chapter 13: Cornelia's Sneak Attack

The moment Hikaru and her group arrived in Cephiro again, they found themselves in the middle of the Castle Courtyard. On both their right and left, the Magic Knights, Lantis, Lafarga, Ferio, and Zazu see two rows of Cephirian customized Sutherlands raising their lances up high above their heads, as a gesture to pave way for their allies and heroes. Without further a due, the Magic Knights and Zazu disembarked from Lantis' and Lafarga's Knightmares before they proceeded forward to the Castle entrance. As soon as Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu reached the stairs leading to the Castle's keep, they were greeted by Clef, Presea, Caldina, Topaz, and Geo Metro.

"So guys, what's the situation?" Hikaru asked first.

"It seems that Prince Clovis is preparing to launch an attack upon this castle in retaliation," Geo announced to the Magic Knights. "And this time, they'll be lead by Princess Cornelia's commanding officers, Lord Guilford and General Darlton!"

Upon hearing this, Hikaru and Lafarga had their eyes twitching out of anxiety due to the fact that they'll be facing Cornelia's Knights again out on the battlefield.

"What about Viceroy Cornelia?" Umi asked out of concern over the Britannian Witch from Area 11. "Is she going to show up again?!"

"It's possible, yes!" Geo explained further. "Though we don't know what they're planning yet. We are to hold our ground at the Castle's garrison at all costs!"

"And Tarta and Aska will give us covering fire from their ships above the battlements!" Clef added in.

"You're in luck, Magic Knights!" Rakshata spoke out loud as she appeared behind Clef. "The Cephirian Army has about 150 Knightmares fully deployed out on the battlefield. This will be an ultimate test for the Cephirian soldiers to make up to their losses by facing the Britannians with their own customized Knightmares out on the frontlines here!"

"Don't forget, that Presea, Caldina, and Topaz will be aiding you Magic Knights with their own customized Knightmares as well!" Geo continued.

"Seriously?!" Umi gasped in excitement.

"Why absolutely, sugar!" Caldina smiled. "I was able to gain control of a Vincent Glinda after securing it from a Britannian Elite soldier at this one village raid in the south, thanks to you Fuu!"

"And I have an Agravain ready for battle, though I'd rather keep my distance while giving off suppressing fire with it," Presea explained nervously.

"So Clef, where do we start off with?!" Hikaru asked the Master Mage, willing to get into the battlefield once again in Cephiro.

After hearing Hikaru's question, Geo took out a handheld GPA and, with just one touch of the screen, it displayed a 50 by 50 inch map grid that covers up the entire garrison from an external view.

"The Britannian Main force will be split into two groups: One will by lead by General Darlton and the other will be lead by Lord Guilford. Darlton will be accompanied by the Glaston Knights and Guilford will be accompanied by a platoon of 400 Sutherlands," Geo spoke out loud as he announced his battle plan in defending the Castle of Cephiro. "They'll strike first by attacking the left and right garrisons! Lantis and Lafarga will be defending the left garrisons. Umi and Fuu will be stationed at the right garrison while deploying our defenses. Hikaru will be on the outlook for any other enemy reserve forces and defend the south garrison with all her might. Presea, you'll let Hikaru pinpoint any locations of where the enemy will appear at and give her covering fire with your Agravain. Caldina, you and Ascot help backup Hikaru while on the battlefield!"

"Understood!" The Magic Knights and Cephrio's warriors acknowledged in unison.

"Zazu, you help me engage the Britannian Flagship!" Geo continued. "Our analyzer indicates that they're using a jumpspace teleporter to travel to Cephiro from Area 11. We need to disable that ship so that we can secure it at all costs! This also means, that we need to prepare a boarding party on their enemy ship while Cornelia's forces are preoccupied with laying a siege upon Cephiro's Castle. So, go prep my GTO and met me back at the NSX!"

"Yes sir!" Zazu saluted before he ran off into the crowd of scrabbling soldiers all over the courtyard.

* * *

Back onboard Clovis' Caerleon-Class Floating Battleship, Cornelia is in the hangar, prepping her customized Gloucester. As she worked on activating all of her weapon systems from inside her cockpit, the Viceroy received a message from one of her Communication Channels. As the screen pulled up in front of Cornelia, General Darlton appeared before her.

"Your highness, we received word that the Magic Knights have arrived at the Castle of Cephiro!"

"What of the Black Knights and Zero?!" Cornelia asked Darlton.

"They're still in Area 11 and they won't be showing up this time!" Darlton answered.

"Then we'll still proceed with the plan!" Cornelia suggested to the Britannian General. "This might be easier for us to smash those Cephirian scum into a million pieces now that the Black Knights are not their to support them. But remember, that Fiery Magic Knight Eleven is mine!"

"Understood, your highness!" Darlton acknowledged as his screen disappeared before Cornelia's eyes.

As soon as Guilford's Gloucester appears at the hangar of the flagship, he makes his first order for his attack formation.

"All units, prepare to drop on my command!"

In an instant, several of Guilford's men appeared next to both of his sides and readied their assault rifles and jousting lances.

"3...2...1! DROP! DROP!" Guilford ordered at the top of his lungs.

Upon hearing Guilford's command, he was the first to jump out of the hangar and activated his Gloucester's parachute. Without further a due, Guilford's men jumped off and activated their parachutes in order to reduce the impact of landing on the ground below them. Back at the Castle, Commander Topaz, who is now piloting an Orange customized Gloucester and is standing up from his open cockpit, spotted the enemy Britannian Knightmares landing down at the forest. With one wave of his hand, several of Topaz's men opened fire with their wrist-mounted crossbows and assault rifles up towards the sky, in hopes of shooting down their enemy before they safely land on the ground.

As soon as Guilford heard enemy fire coming from below, he orders his men to evade and increase their speed towards their landing zone. Those that didn't evade were struck by the enemies' crossbow bolts and shot at a few times by their assault rifles before they exploded in mid-air. Those who survived getting fired upon from below mostly landed in the forest. The moment they landed, the Britannian Sutherlands detached their parachutes and drew out weapons and charged forward towards the castle's garrisons from all sides.

"Here they come, sugar!" Caldina spoke from her Vincent Glinda as she drew out her two lancer-MVS.

After hearing what the illusionist just said, Hikaru drew out her Escudo Broadsword and summoned forth her Rune God once more. The moment Rayearth landed behind Hikaru, she went inside her Rune God as his eyes started lighting up.

"Umi! Fuu! Everyone! Get ready! They're attacking from the forest!" Hikaru announced through her communicator that Geo gave the Magic Knights earlier.

The moment they see the enemy Sutherlands appear from the forest 500 meters away from the Castle, they opened fire at the outer walls of Cephiro's Castle while on the move with their landspinners. After taking cover behind the walls, several Cephirian Sutherlands opened fire from at the enemy. As for Presea, Hikaru launched a Flame Arrow as a flare to indicate on where to fire at. The moment Hikaru's flame spell flew over a few enemy Sutherlands, Presea activated the Agravain's dual Hadron Cannons. With just one click from her controller, Presea unleashed two powerful dark-red beams at the enemy Sutherlands with deadly accuracy. As the beams flew right past the Sutherlands, they blew up in a straight Presea, she felt a bit shaken after firing the Hadron Cannons on the battlefield. However, the blacksmith knew that she needed to stay alive while on the battlefield so Presea did her best to show endurance while firing several times with the Agravain's Hadron Cannons from afar.

The moment the Sutherlands reached the outer walls, they activated their Slash Harkens and hoisted themselves up in order to scale the castle walls. As soon as they jumped over the outer walls, the Britannian Sutherlands were met by a couple of Cephirian Knightmares that came charging at them with their jousting Lances and Stun Tonfas! While the Britannians and Cephirians engaged each other on the walls of the left garrisons, Umi and Fuu who are now inside Selece and Windam flew up to the garrisons and engaged the Britannians once again, with their swords drawn. When the fight began, Cephirian swords clashed into Britannian lances, explosions erupted on the walls and from within the courtyard, and shouts and blood-curdling screams echoed throughout the battlefield.

While the Knights of Water and Wind jumped into the fight with heroic interventions and intercepted several more enemy Knightmares before taking them down one by one, Lord Guilford appeared from the forest with his Gloucester and hurled his lance straight towards the walls that the two Magic Knights are in. In a sudden surprise, Guilford's Jousting Lance zoomed right past Selece's face by a mere inch from where he was standing, much to Umi's startled reaction.

"Well, if it isn't Lord Guilford of Cornelia's Knights!" Umi sneered as she turned to face towards Guilford's Knightmare.

As Guilford's Gloucester scaled up the walls that Umi was on, he smashed on top of a Cephirian customized Sutherland and drew out his Maser Vibration Sword before going after the Knight of Water.

"Magic Knight of Cephiro, you are mine!" Guilford hollered as he charged forward with his Knightmare straight at Umi's position.

In one quick motion, Umi pointed her rapier at the Gloucester in the face and made several straight jabs at him, only for Guilford to dodge it left and right. After evading Umi's sword for less than a minute, Guilford made his move by counter-attacking it with his MVS, in attempt to break off Umi's guard. As a result, Guilford shoved his sword at Umi's sword, pushing her back with sheer force.

"UGH!" Umi grunted as she was thrown off her jabbing attacks.

The moment Guilford attacked Selece with a horizontal swipe with his sword, Umi jumped backwards and skidded to a halt before resuming her attack upon the Knight of Cornelia.

"Nice reflexes, Magic Knight!" Guilford muttered to himself as he continued to engage the Knight of Water while lifting his sword up to his left side.

Before Umi could attack back, Guilford unleashed his Slasher Harkens at the Knight of Water. Upon reaction, Umi raised her hand up high above her head and summoned her water magic before aiming it at the Gloucester's Harkens.

"WATER DRAGON!"

As the blue dragon appeared in front of Umi, it opened up its jaws and shot itself towards the harkens, knocking both of them off course and continued to head towards Guilford's Gloucester.

"Water, you say?!" Guilford hissed as he chopped Umi's spell in two with his MVS. "Don't make me laugh!"

Undaunted by such retaliation, Umi charged second and thrusted her rapier at Guilford's Gloucester like a spear. As the fight between the Knight of Water and Lord Guilford continued, Windam slashed one enemy Sutherland twice with her two-handed sword before intercepting the fight between the two.

"MS. UMI! CLEAR!" Fuu shouted from inside Windam.

Upon hearing Fuu coming up from behind her, Umi disengaged with Lord Guilford and flew 40 meters above from where Guilford's Gloucester was standing. Before Guilford could see what was going on, he spotted Windam's hands glowing in a bright-green aura as Fuu casted one of her wind spells at him.

"EMERALD CYCLONE!"

"No way!" Guilford shrieked as he jumped off the outer walls and landed inside the Castle's Courtyard, evading Fuu's spell.

As Guilford's Knightmare turned around, he sees Windam and Selece jumped down to the courtyard and held their swords up high before facing them two against one. Not wanting to back down, Guilford drew out his second MVS before engaging the Knights of Water and Wind head on.

On the other side of the garrison, Lantis shot down 5 enemy Sutherlands with his Sutherland's Giant Cannon while giving Lafarga covering fire with his platoon of customized Cephirian Sutherlands outside of the Castle garrisons.

"Sir Lantis, watch our backs!" Lafarga said from his Gloucester.

"Understood, Captain!" Lantis replied as continued firing down on the Britannian Knightmares.

After Lafarga stabbed two enemy Sutherlands with his Jousting Lance, General Darlton's Gloucester appeared from the forest in from of him and fired his assault rifle at the Guard Captain of Cephiro.

"Hello, Lafarga! Prepare to die you maggot!" Darlton glared while opening fire at Lafarga's Gloucester.

"YOU AGAIN?" Lafarga growled as he steered his Knightmare away from enemy fire.

"And this time, my special squadron will be pitching into this siege! Glaston Knights! ATTACK!" Darlton commanded as five more enemy Gloucesters appeared behind the Britannian General.

In an instant, the Glaston Knights' Knightmares are all armed with Staffen Missile Launchers and with a blink of an eye, they unleashed a massive volley of missiles at Lafarga and his men. As a result, most of the ground was erupting with multiple explosions, nearly decimating most of Lafarga's guards as their customized Sutherlands blew up to smithereens.

"SOLDIERS, FALL BACK TO THE GARRISON!" Lafarga shouted while giving out orders to his soldiers.

As the surviving guards heeded Captain Lafarga's orders, they steered away from the Glaston Knights and went back behind the castle's outer walls. However, before Lafarga could catch up to his men, he was met with two Glaston Knights as they drew out their swords and engaged him immediately. In retaliation, Lafarga drew out his Gloucester's MVS and fought back against the Glaston Knights with seer strength and swordmaster skills. Lantis dropped his Giant Cannon from his black Sutherland and drew out both of his Stun Tonfas before jumping off the outer wall to aid Lafarga in fighting against the Glaston Knights.

"Watch out boys!" Darlton spoke out loud from his Knightmare. "These Cephirian Warriors happened to be Commanding Officers of Cephiro's Army!"

"Understood, sir!" One of the Glaston Knights spoke as he engaged Lantis' Sutherland head on.

When two of Cephiro's best warriors faced off the five Glaston Knights, another Knightmare Frame flew over the outer wall and attacked General Darlton with his revolving Sword. It was Ferio and his customized Burai Kai.

"HI-YAH!" Ferio shouted as he swung his sword at Darlton head on.

As Ferio continued with his flurry of attacks with his Burai's Revolving Sword, Darlton steered backwards in a straight line with his Gloucester and fired his Assault Rifle at him. At the same time, Ferio steered his customized Knightmare left and right to evade enemy fire coming from Darlton.

"And if I remember correctly from Prince Clovis' meeting, one of the warriors of Cephiro happens to be the Prince of Cephiro himself!" Darlton announced to his Glaston Knight Squad.

In an instant, Ferio rushed in and struck at Darlton head on with his Revolving Sword only to get parried by the Britannian General's Jousting Lance up front.

"That's right! I am Prince Ferio of Cephiro!" The green-haired Cephirian Noble shouted dauntlessly as he stood his ground against Darlton.

"Guys, help me out here! Ferio is onto me!" Darlton ordered while trying to resist Ferio's advances.

"Yes, my lord!" The Glaston Knights acknowledged as they attempted to close in Ferio's position.

Before any of the Glaston Knights could help out Darlton, Lafarga and Lantis intercepted and continue their fight with them.

* * *

At Hikaru's position, she and Caldina were hacking every single enemy Sutherland that was scaling the castle walls with their Slash Harkens. In such swift movement, Caldina was able to do all sorts of acrobatic, assassin-like killing blows with her Vincent Glinda as she performed various blows with its lancer MVS's. For Hikaru, she casted several ruby lightings from the outer walls while Presea had the Agravain flew right next to her and fired one of its cannons at the advancing enemy Britannians.

Unfortunately, they didn't see Cornelia's Knightmare blend in through the advancing Britannian Sutherlands until it is too late. As soon as Cornelia appeared from amongst her reserve forces, she fired her Assault Rifle at Presea's Agravain, making the blacksmith lose her accuracy from her firing range, destroying its left cannon.

"AGH!" Presea screamed as she attempted to back away from the outer walls while covering the Agravain's face with its left hand.

To make matters worse, Cornelia jumped up high above the outer walls with her Slash Harkens and pounced onto Presea's Knightmare with both of its feet, scaring the living vibes out of the Cephrian Smith. The next thing Presea saw was Cornelia grabbing her Agravain with the Gloucester's left hand by its face.

"PRESEA!" Hikaru shouted as she attempted to intercept Cornelia's Knightmare. "GET AWAY FROM HER, CORNELIA!"

"Let's Dance! MAGIC KNIGHT ELEVEN SCUM!" Cornelia shouted ruthlessly as she turned to face Rayearth with her Jousting Lance.

"FLAME ARROW, YAH!" Hikaru shouted as she hurled a flaming missile at Cornelia's Gloucester.

After throwing Presea's Knightmare off the outer walls in front of her with her right hand, Cornelia thrusted her lance at the oncoming flame and made it burst in a medium-sized explosion a few meters in front of her, unfazed by its effects, leaving behind a small red cloud. As Cornelia appeared from the red cloud, she charged straight at Rayearth as it held its ground with her shield up in front of the Viceroy. Just when Cornelia's lance hit Rayearth's shield, Hikaru lifted her shield up high and struck back by swinging her sword from above her head. As Cornelia block Hikaru's sword with her lance, she rotated her lance with the end pointing at Rayearth and jabbing in the knee. However, Hikaru wasn't done yet. Ignoring the impact from the other end of Cornelia's lance, Hikaru swiped her sword across the Gloucester's torso only for Cornelia to steer backwards away from the Flame Knight's 3rd attack.

During the fight between the Fire Knight and the Viceroy of Area 11, Caldina jumped up in mid-air and attempted to slam the Vincent's right leg on top of Cornelia's Gloucester's head. In just by a mere inch, Cornelia broke away from her fight with the Knight of Fire and dodged the Vincent's attack from above.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, CEPHIRIAN FREAK!" Cornelia snarled as she opened fire upon Caldina's Vincent.

Despite Cornelia's fury and shootout, Caldina steered her Vincent left and right as she tried to close in on the Viceroy herself. However, before Caldina could deliver any damage onto Cornelia's Gloucester, she was met with a huge whack on Vincent's head with Cornelia's Jousting Lance. Upon impact, Caldina's Knightmare fell off the outer walls and landed onto the dirt ground below.

"Why you...?!" Caldina grunted in pain as she struggled to get her Vincent back on its knees.

The moment Caldina turned around to resume her attack on Cornelia, the illusionist was met with a barrage of Slash Harkens by a group of enemy Sutherlands. Not wanting to get struck again, Caldina had the Vincent jump up above the ground and cartwheeled into the enemy group as she engaged them again, leaving Hikaru dealing with Cornelia back at the outer walls.

After knocking Caldina's Vincent out of the way, Cornelia resumes her fight with the Knight of fire only to be met with a torrent of white flames coming from Hikaru's sword. In less than a second, Cornelia's Gloucester jumped off the outer walls and landed in the courtyard, with Rayearth following from behind. As Rayearth landed on two feet and facing Cornelia's Gloucester, Hikaru charged with her sword raised up behind her left shoulder while preparing to strike at the Viceroy again.

"You really think you can take us on like this, do you?!" Cornelia taunted as she blocked another of Hikaru's sword attacks with her jousting lance. "IS THAT THE BEST YOU'VE GOT?!"

Before Hikaru had another chance of attacking Cornelia again, she was met with a strong thrust in the ruby orb on Rayearth's chest by Cornelia's Jousting Lance. Hikaru barely had enough time to dodge it when the lance shattered a bit of the ruby orb cockpit. As a result, Rayearth's orb cockpit was left damaged with an huge hole that is exposing Hikaru from inside the Rune God. The moment Cornelia turned her Knightmare around to face Rayearth again, she gasped in total shock. After taking a good look at pilot inside Rayearth's exposed, shattered orb, Cornelia felt totally stunned upon realizing that the Magic Knight that she is facing in battle is actually the very same little girl that she encountered after raiding her hometown and rounded her up, along with the rest of the survivors at Area 11 during their invasion.

"N-No way! HIKARU SHIDOU?! I-It was you the entire time, seven years ago?!" Cornelia shrieked as her eyes widened in horror. "H-How is this possible?!"

"I already told you, Princess Cornelia!" Hikaru snarled as she stared at Cornelia's Knightmare straight in the eye. "I haven't forgotten about how you took our parents away from me and my brothers! Well, let's just say that I've been pretty busy here in Cephiro long before you and your people came to this country and threatened them with violence. Now that I'm able to have my powers adapt to Area 11 as a Magic Knight of Fire, I'll do anything to get my parents back, for my brothers and for all of Japan!"

Before Cornelia could say anything else, she grunted in pain as she felt her cockpit shake violently. The Viceroy was met with shield bash in the Gloucester's Tungsten Armored Torso by Rayearth himself.

"UGH! CURSES!" The Viceroy shouted in horror as she felt her Knightmare falling on its back.

The next thing that happened is when Rayearth jumped on top of Cornelia's Gloucester and held her down with Hikaru's sword pointing at the Knightmare in its neck.

* * *

Meanwhile during the fight below them, the Chizeta Bravada and the Dome of Fahren are accompanying the NSX as they prepare to attack the Britannian Battleship up in the sky. From the bridge, the alarms went off as the ship's crew have all visual sights of approaching ships from the three countries converging on their position.

"Prince Clovis, Cephiro's allied ships are heading straight for us! What should we do?!" The Britannian Captain reported at the bridge.

"Send out the VTOL Gunships! Drive wretched infidels of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren away at once!" Prince Clovis ordered.

"Yes, your highness!" The Captain acknowledged as he carried out orders to dispatch their gunships into battle.

Upon seeing the Britannia's VTOL gunships flying towards the three ships, the princesses of Chizeta and Fahren used their magic to raise their shields as the gunships opened fire with their Ventral Cannons and Rocket Pods while firing yellow beams and fireballs at them and blasting several of them away. For the Battleship NSX, however, Geo ordered his crew to activate all gun turrets and missiles and opened fire upon the enemy gunships.

"Lady Aska! Tarta! Tatra! HOLD NOTHING BACK!" Geo shouted as he opened up their communication channels from the NSX's bridge. "Push forward with all of your might!"

"Understood, Commander Geo!" The three princesses said in unison while they continued their fight against the Britannian Gunships.

"Zazu, get my GTO ready! As soon as we reach 300 meters towards that Britannian Battleship, I'll be heading out and providing back up!" Geo ordered the young mechanic.

"Yes, sir!" Zazu acknowledged.


	14. The Princess and the Magic Knight

As the aerial battle continues to rage in Cephiro's airspace, the ships of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren are pressing forward as the Djinn Spirits and Aska's illusions punched through the VTOL gunships in a spearhead assault. Not wanting to back down by such overwhelming odds from Cephiro's allies, Clovis ordered some of the remaining Sutherlands that haven't dropped into the forests near the castle to man the defenses on top of their battleship. The moment several Britannian Knightmare pilots heeded the prince's orders, they went on top of the ship's surface and opened fire at Chizeta's Guardian Spirits and Aska's illusions. Despite all their efforts, the Djinn and the Fahrenian Illusions were evading the enemy fire through all sorts of acrobatic moves in the sky before closing into the Britannian Sutherlands. In an instant, the Djinns summoned their huge arabic swords and hacked the Sutherlands in two and kicked several of them off their ship, much to Clovis' horror.

"Surrender, Prince Clovis!" The Blue Djinn spoke using Tarta's voice while pointing his sword at the ship's bridge. "There is no escape from the wrath of Cephiro's allies!"

"Y-You dare threaten me, Chizetian?!" Clovis shrieked in anger, with Euphy sweating in fear.

Before Tarta could say anything through her Djinn, the GTO appeared behind the Guardian Spirit and took out several more Sutherlands onboard the ship with his cannon and missiles.

"Where is the Lancelot when you need it?!" Euphy muttered to herself.

Before their siege, Suzaku and the Lancelot got called in by the Special Corps to go over a few more research assignments and to catch up on school time at the Ashford Academy. With that said, Euphy had no choice but to let Suzaku take care of business back in Area 11 until further notice. The reason why Euphy went with Clovis, Cornelia, and their men to Cephiro is because the young princess wanted to see what was Cephiro like, apart from Area 11, much to their dismay. Thanks to Euphy's stubbornness, Clovis had no choice but to take Euphy with them but only on a full escort onboard their battleship. Unfortunately, because of how aggressive the Cephirians and their allies are in battle right now, Euphy might have picked the wrong time to visit Cephiro, despite being left behind on their ship.

"Your highness, the enemy ships are launching board parties in the hangar!" The Captain shouted in fear.

"Escort us to our shuttle!" Clovis ordered the Captain before grabbing Euphy with his right hand. "Let's go sister, we need to evacuate this ship at once."

"No brother! If we can find a way to reason with the Magic Knights and their allies..." Euphy protested before her speech was interrupted by her elder brother.

"There's no time for that, my dear!" Clovis denied. "They're already cornering us before we even started attacking their castle!"

"What about Cornelia and the others?!" Euphy said in worry. "They're still over there!"

"We have to get off this ship first, then we'll contact our surviving forces to meet up with us!" Clovis suggested. "Captain, defend this ship while escorting me and Euphy to the hangar!"

"Yes, your highness!" The Captain acknowledged as he activated the P.A to carry out Clovis' orders to the rest of the crew.

* * *

Back at the Castle, the fight between the Britannians and the Cephirians gotten more intense as the Glaston Knights fought a brutal battle with Cephiro's best warriors while trading lance thrusts, gunfire, explosions, and sword-fighting with each other. For Cornelia and Hikaru, the Magic Knight is still pinning over the Viceroy with her sword still pointing at the Gloucester's face. In their surroundings, Presea is still unconscious after getting taken down by the Viceroy of Area 11 and Caldina shows up to back up Hikaru again after taking down several more Britannian Sutherlands before the Cephirian Gloucesters and Sutherlands moved in to relieve her of the illusionist's position. As Cornelia continued to look up at the Magic Knight inside Rayearth, she took a few deep breaths before say anymore.

"I didn't really think you would get very far like this just to get your revenge on me and my men, Hikaru!" Cornelia said while attempting to take a breather. "This isn't some sort of trick, is it?! A young Eleven witch that is obsessed in helping out the natives of this new world as a Knight unlike any other?"

"Why would it be, Princess?!" Hikaru said as she continued to glare at the Britannian Princess. "I've already met and befriended most of the natives in this new world and since I saved them from destruction, they were actually nice enough to give us a helping hand in saving our world as well from Britannia, especially from Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren. Besides, Master Mage Clef filled us in and taught us how to use our powers to help protect the people we care about!"

"You knew?! You all knew, didn't you?!" Cornelia gasped as she turned her face to see Master Mage Clef and several Cephirian customized Knightmares appear from the castle's rear entrance and approached her and Hikaru. "That's not true is it, Master Mage?! TELL ME THIS ISN'T TRUE!?"

"My apologizes your majesty, but I already taught Lady Hikaru everything she needs to know on how to save Cephiro three years ago!" Clef spoke in a calm tone as he pointed his staff at Cornelia's Gloucester. "Everything they did to keep you Britannians at bay is my responsibility as well! Now if you don't mind, PLEASE SURRENDER, PRINCESS CORNELIA! FOR THERE IS NO WAY OUT OF THIS!

NO! NEVER!" Cornelia roared as she grabbed her gun and aimed the Gloucester's Assault Rifle at Rayearth's face.

Just when she unleashed a barrage of bullets at Rayearth, Hikaru reacted by jumping a couple of meters backwards away from Cornelia and landed on both of her feet while Cornelia got up on hers.

"How could you Cephirians think of relying on this little Eleven witch to save your sorry asses?" Cornelia snarled in confusion.

"We always believed in Hikaru and the Magic Knights that they would win our battles for us in order to save this country!" Clef continued as she levitated himself off the ground with a barrier shield protecting him. "They don't really care if Hikaru is an Eleven or not! Since she and her fellow Magic Knights have displayed their bravery and their honor by making it this far out onto the battlefield without abusing their power, we don't have any reason to question their loyalty towards Cephiro!"

"It sounded like that you guys made another Suzaku Kururugi in this foul place!" Cornelia summarized, claiming that they made Hikaru an Honorary Cephirian. "But no matter, I'll squash you all!"

"LIGHTING BALL! COME FORTH!" Clef shouted as he raised his staff up to the sky while in mid-air.

In a few seconds, a huge ball of lighting struck at where Cornelia is standing. With on swift motion of her controller, Cornelia moved her Knightmare to the left before Clef's spell struck the ground and created a huge dent that pierced the earth a few feet from Cornelia's Gloucester. Just when Cornelia fired the Gloucester's Slash Harkens at Clef, Caldina flew towards her with her Vincent and did a jump kick, with its right leg lifting up towards the Knightmare's face. Upon impact, Cornelia barely had enough time to block the Vincent's kick with her jousting lance when the Vincent's leg made contact with the lance's shaft. In less than a second, the Jousting Lance suddenly split in two due to the strong impact that Caldina's Vincent made.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Cornelia shouted as she retaliated against the Chizetian illusionist.

As the lance broke apart, Cornelia's Gloucester whacked the Vincent with her broken half across the Vincent's face. Caldina didn't saw Cornelia's counter-attack when her Vincent got knocked over to her left. Just when the Vincent hit the ground Caldina skidded to a halt when her Knightmare crashed into the wall of the Castle Keep, knocking the illusionist out cold.

"CALDINA!" Hikaru shrieked loudly as she charged at Cornelia with all of her might.

"Are you really sure that this is what you want, Hikaru?!" Cornelia asked in a jeering tone while holding her ground against Hikaru's sword with the other half of her jousting lance. "You won't be seeing your parents or your brothers again once I'm done with you because anyone who dares to challenge me in Knightmare combat will be digging their own graves in no time at all!"

"Viceroy or not, you'll still have to pay for what you do!" Hikaru hissed as she leaned closer to Cornelia's Knightmare. "I came back here to collect!"

"FINE, THEN!" Cornelia shouted as she jumped away from Hikaru and landed her Gloucester on its two feet and 50 meters apart from Rayearth.

Before either Cornelia or Hikaru could attack each other again, Lord Guilford jumped in-between the two and drew out his MVS.

"PRINCESS STAY BACK! I'll..." Guilford shouted before seeing the shattered cockpit inside the Rayearth Knightmare. "What the? Hikaru?! T-That can't be right! Y-You where that girl seven years ago! W-Why are you...?!"

Upon seeing Hikaru inside Rayearth, Guilford's eyes widened with horror as his face started covering up in sweat and out of fear.

"Feeling scared, Lord Guilford?!" Hikaru smirked as hands started powering up with her magic and aimed it at Cornelia's Knight's Gloucester. "Well, you should be! RUBY LIGHTING!"

As the red torrent of electricity came out of Hikaru's hands, it shot out at both Guilford and Cornelia dead on. Without hesitation, Guilford steered his Knightmare towards Cornelia's, grabbed her Knightmare, and threw himself to his right along with her, landing on the ground with both of their Knightmare's torsos. In instant, Guilford and Cornelia both dodged Hikaru's thunderous magic, leaving behind a scratch on Guilford's Knightmare in the humpback cockpit. At the same time, Hikaru's Ruby Lighting accidentally struck the Castle's outer walls from behind. However, thanks to Clef's magical enhancements, the walls didn't suffer any internal damage for it was protected by a inner barrier shield. The moment both Cornelia and Guilford got up on their feet, they received another communication channel from inside their cockpits.

"Viceroy! This is the Captain speaking!" The voice from Cornelia's intercom spoke. "We're under heavy attack by Cephiro's allies. Request immediate back-GAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

"CAPTAIN!" Cornelia and Guilford exclaimed in unison before his channel ended in static.

As they looked towards each other and towards Hikaru, they felt in utter silence for a few seconds until Cornelia makes her speech in front of the Knight of Fire.

"We'll settle this another time, Hikaru! For now, I'll withdraw!"

Before Hikaru could say anything else, Cornelia ordered a retreat while she and Lord Guilford ran back up the outer walls and disappeared over the Castle's garrisons.

"Presea! Clef! Caldina! Are you guys, okay?!" Hikaru asked as she turned towards the two unconscious warriors and the Master Mage.

"We're fine, Hikaru!" Clef responded. "Let's clean up this area, we'll go after them later!"

"Understood!" Hikaru acknowledged as she moved away from her post to check up on her other friends.

* * *

Back inside the Battleship, Prince Clovis and Princess Euphy are making a run for it down to the hangar while being chased by Geo's Troops and Aska's guards! Both soldiers from Autozam and Fahren were pouring out from their personal transports and immediately engaged the Battleship's crew members. In the ensuring boarding party, the Britannian Marines were opening fire against the forces of Autozam and Fahren throughout the corridors and all over the main hangar of the battleship. What's worse is that, when the Captain tried to make contact with the Viceroy and Lord Guilford, he was met with a combusting explosion that consumed him while on the bridge, claiming his life for good. As soon as they reached the hangar, Clovis and Euphy were met by a group of monstrous beasts that tore away several squads of Britannian Marines with their fists, claws, and huge tails.

"GAH! MONSTERS!" Clovis shrieked in horror while being backed up by another group of 10 Marines.

While the Marines opened fire upon the monstrous creatures, Ascot appeared amongst the chaos and shot several Britannian Marines down with his lighting magic.

"Watch it, Clovis!" Ascot hissed as he pointed his finger at the Britannian Prince in a hostile manner. "Those monsters are actually all friends of mine!"

"YOU?!" Clovis gasped in shock. "That's sounds very absurd!"

"Oh really?!" Ascot smirked as he snapped his fingers.

Upon noticing Ascot's command, Griffore ran up to Clovis and Euphy and grabbed them both with his huge hands. As Griffore lifted them up off the ground, the two royal siblings were both grunting while being restrained against their own will.

"Please, don't hurt us! It's not our idea to declare war on Cephiro! Honest!" Clovis pleaded while begging for mercy.

"HANDS OFF THEIR ROYAL HIGHNESSES!" One of the Sutherland pilots shouted as he rammed his Knightmare at Griffore.

Upon impact, the anthropomorphic griffin roared in pain as he unwillingly let go of both Euphy and Clovis and landed right on top of the Sutherland's hands before steering away from the chaos. The Sutherland carrying the prince and princess steered towards the shuttle and dropped them off before getting back into the fight with Ascot's creatures. As soon as both siblings reached the shuttle, the ship started shaking violently from the explosions coming from outside. To make matters worse, an grim announcement blared out all over the hangar.

"Attention all crew members! The ship is now on a collision course! I repeat, it is now on a collision course. Please evacuate all personnel immediately!"

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE YOU FOOL!" Clovis shouted at the pilot inside his shuttle as he and Euphy went to their seats and buckled up. "Get me and Euphy out of here at once!"

"Yes, your majesty!" The pilot replied as prepared the shuttle for take off.

As soon as the hangar doors opened wide, the shuttle flew off in a jiffy, zooming right past the GTO unnoticed before he helped his soldiers evacuate the falling battleship.

"Remember our mission guys!" Geo said from inside his Mecha. "As soon as the ship crashes somewhere away from the Castle, we are to secure their Sakuradite jumpdrive and haul to the Castle of Cephiro!"

"Yes, Commander!" The Autozamian soldiers acknowledged as they went back to the NSX v.i.a their transport shuttles.

While the Autozamian soldiers evacuated, the Chizetian guard ran back to their walkways as they headed towards the Bravada. After Ascot recalled all of his friends, he ordered his flying beast to escort him away from the falling Britannian Battleship. While in mid-air, Ascot could feel the intense breeze flowing through his shoulders as he flew out of harm's way.

"Someday, I'll get that Prince Clovis!" Ascot muttered to himself as he rode on the back of his flyer. "Hopefully, we'll use him as a political hostage to have his fellow Britannians stand down with a ceasefire."

* * *

As they see their battleship crash somewhere in the forest, Cornelia could not help but worry for the safety of his sister Euphy and his brother Clovis. While Cornelia is steering her Knightmare away from the battlefield back at Cephiro's Castle and deep within the forest, the Princess couldn't stop hyperventilating after her learning the true identity of one of the Magic Knights that she faced in battle. After breathing exasperatedly for a few times, Darlton's Gloucester came up to Cornelia's out of concern over her sudden, frightful behavior, while the Glaston Knights and the remaining Britannian Sutherlands moved on ahead towards their rally point.

"Princess, what's wrong?!" Darlton asked, worriedly.

"I should've known, way back seven years ago!" Cornelia said, while huffing in a panic. "It was her all along!"

"What?! Who?" The Britannian General asked further, putting pressure on the Viceroy.

"I hate to say this, Darlton! But it was Hikaru Shidou from Area 11, seven years ago!" Guilford answered for Cornelia.

"I don't believe it!" Darlton exclaimed in shock. "There has to be some sort of mistake here! I mean, why would it be that young girl back at Tokyo? It doesn't make any sense!"

"I don't want to admit it Darlton, but it looks like they made Hikaru an Honorary Cephirian of a Magic Knight here after they helped saved their world from destruction three years ago!" Cornelia summarized. "I know, it's hard to believe that Hikaru would actually grow up only to become a formidable opponent in the future!"

"If we ever get back to Area 11, should we have Hikaru arrested?" Guilford asked the Viceroy. "Or should we warn Warrant Officer Kururugi about this?!"

"No, none of that!" Cornelia denied. "If word gets out that Hikaru is one of the Magic Knights that was tearing through the ranks of the Holy Britannian Empire, there will be a panic amongst our fellow Britannians. It may even encourage more Elevens to start rebelling against us, just like when the Black Knights rose up from the shadows and started rebelling against us! For now, we'll let Suzaku deal with her in a fair fight between Knights serving for their beloved countries. We still haven't figured out who are the other two Magic Knights fighting alongside Hikaru yet!"

"I understand, your highness!" Darlton acknowledged.

"Right now, we need to met up with Euphy and Clovis at their rendezvous point," Cornelia ordered her men before moving on with her Knightmare.

Upon heeding Cornelia's orders, Darlton left the Viceroy to help back up the remaining Britannian Army on the other side of the forest.

* * *

As the Magic Knights and Cephiro's defenders went to work in fixing the garrisons all over the outer walls, Geo ordered the NSX crew to activate their tractor beam that Rakshata helped developed and mounted on top of the Autozamian Battleship. Upon hearing Geo's command, the NSX crewmen fired their tractor beam, shooting out a long green beam at the falling Britannian ship before it crashed into Cephiro's Castle. The moment they were able to hold onto the wrecked ship, the NSX Crew redirected it a few meters in front of the Castle's main gate. The moment they disengaged their tractor beam, Geo landed his GTO on the ground a few feet away from the wreckage and escorted an engineer team towards it.

"Okay, boys!" Geo announced from his GTO. "Time to secure that Sakuradite Jumpdrive and haul it into the Castle. Zazu, helped them work on it, to see if we can use it to build a gateway to Area 11!"

"Yes, sir!" Zazu acknowledged from Geo's intercom.

While Zazu went down to the courtyard by shuttle, Fuu casted her "Winds of Healing Spell" on several wounded soldiers regenerating most of their wounds while Rakshata and several Autozamian Engineers went to work on repairing the Cephirian Knightmares that we're damaged from their previous battle. As Hikaru disembarked from her Rune God she casted another spell to repair the damaged ruby crystal orb on Rayearth before helping Umi and Fuu treat the wounded. During their recovery, Ferio ordered some of his men to put out the fires caused by the previous explosions that occurred by the Britannians.

"Man, those Glaston Knights are very vicious!" Ferio muttered in frustration as he makes his attempt in repairing his Burai Kai with the aid of one of the Autozamian Engineers. "I was about to lose against them when they disarmed my Burai's Revolving Sword! That wasn't until they we're given the order to retreat by Viceroy Cornelia!"

"Well, they happened to be General Darlton's Elite Soldiers, for whom he addresses them as his adoptive sons!" Rakshata informed the Cephirian Prince.

"Someday, those insane ruffians will be sorry that they ever came here in the first place," Lafarga grunted as he drank a mug of beer. "Just be grateful that those Glaston goons didn't get past the outer walls!"

"I may not have the time to upgrade the Magic Knight's Rune God Knightmares here!" Rakshata announced. "Even though my experimental project is completed thanks the Geo and his crew, I may need to operate it back at Area 11 first."

"Are you sure, Rakshata?!" Hikaru asked as she, Umi, and Fuu walked up to the Indian Head Researcher.

"It may not be worth the risk testing the new upgrades for your Rune Gods yet, due to the situation at hand here!" Rakshata continued. "But fret not, they all happened to be Sakuradite evolution orbs that were enchanted by Clef's Magic and customized by Autozam's engineers, thanks to my research. They'll help increase most of the Rune God's stats where they are at their weakest and help you all gain new powers once they're ready to deploy."

"I can't wait to see how those will play out as!" Umi said excitedly.

"Anyway, I have to help them construct a gateway to Area 11 so that Cephiro's Army would arrive and make camp at Area 11," Rakshata explained. "Also, the ships from Cephiro's allied countries need built-in jumpdrive generators so that they can gain access to Area 11 from Cephiro or vice versa to aid the Black Knights residing there and some cloaking devices to hide their ships from Britannia's "Eye in the Sky!"

"Understood!" The Magic Knights said in unison.

"This all may take 48 hours to get all of this done, girls!" Lafarga added in. "So, one of us needs to take turns to patrol the garrison during the night shift!"

"Let's go get something to eat inside the Castle! I'm starving!" Ferio told the group as he went inside the Castle Keep.

As Ferio disappeared into the Castle, Lafarga and the Magic Knights went with him to check up on Caldina and Presea at the Medical ward. The moment Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Lafarga, and Lantis arrived at the Medical Ward, they see a dozen of doctors and nurses from Autozam scrambling all over the area while treating the Cephirian Soldiers of their injuries. When Hikaru looked around, she sees most of the soldiers lying down on their stretchers with bandages wrapped around their heads and around their lower abdomens. Some have slings on their arms, while others were unconscious. Upon seeing all of this, Hikaru couldn't help but notice how harsh the results from Knightmare combat can really be, especially when some of the soldiers were able to use their ejector seats upon their defeat at the hands of Britannia's troops. After several minutes of looking around, Hikaru and Lafarga finally saw Caldina sitting on top of her bunk, with a bandage wrapped around her head and a patch on her left cheek. For Presea, she had bandages wrapped around both of her arms and is resting on top of her bunk, catching some Zs. Upon seeing Presea recovering from the last fight, Hikaru felt a bit relieved that the blacksmith will be okay. As soon as the illusionist saw Lafarga up front, Caldina made a weak smile, making the guard captain concerned over her health.

"Caldina, are you okay?!" Lafarga asked, showing concern over his Chizetian woman.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Caldina said in a quiet tone. "I can't believe that Britannian Witch knocked me out twice all in one day!"

"Since we took down their ship and secured their jump drive, Cornelia won't have any chance to escape Cephiro this time!" Hikaru informed Caldina, much to her relief.

"Say Hikaru, I noticed that you were speaking to the Viceroy as if she already knew about you. Is that true sweetie?!" Caldina asked, concerning over the Knight of Fire.

"The thing is Caldina, I already met the Viceroy before seven years ago," Hikaru answered in front of both the illusionist and guard captain.

"Wait! Seriously?!" Lafarga gasped in shock. "Let me guess, you didn't have any power back then when she threatened to take you away, didn't you?!"

"No I didn't. However, she spared me from my enslavement in exchange for my parents' slavery," Hikaru said as she looked down on herself. "But no matter, as soon as I'm able to get close to her and take her down, I'll squeeze as much information as I can on where my mother and father are at from Cornelia!"

"Ya sure have quite the enemy during your childhood there, little missy!" Caldina wheezed.

"I guess that's one reason to go after Britannia," Lantis pondered. "It's bad enough that one of the students from that Britannian School got a little too nosy thanks to that Baroness Viletta Nu back at Area 11."

"Wait, what do you mean by that, Lantis?" Lafarga asked.

"One of my friends, Shirley Fennette, was being used as bait by Viletta Nu during one of our fights with Britannia a few nights ago," Hikaru said before explaining the rest of her story towards Caldina and Lafarga.

"Man, that was pretty harsh for a Baroness to do in order to expose your identity in front of the public!" Lafarga gasped. "I should've captured that woman when I had the chance."

"We really need to be very careful as soon as we get back to Area 11 when meeting up with the Black Knights!" Lantis suggested towards Hikaru. "Did anyone else find out about you during the battlefield?"

"Uh Oh!" Hikaru gasped. "Lord Guilford saw me too inside my Rune God! We do need to capture both Cornelia and Guilford before they tell their fellow Britannians about me!"

"I don't think that may be necessary!" Clef said as he appeared from the doorway of the Medical Ward.

"Why not?!" Hikaru asked while sweating underneath her breath out of fear. "I was almost found out by Viletta and Shirley back in Area 11 and now this?! Those witnesses have to be dealt with before it gets worse!"

"Please calm down, Hikaru!" Clef said with sympathy. "I still felt that Princess Cornelia may be hesitant in letting her fellow Britannians know about you!"

"What makes you say that, Master Mage?" Umi asked out of curiosity and anxiety.

As Clef raised his staff up high, it shot out a large, blue oval projector on the floor near Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Lantis, Lafarga, and Caldina. The moment Hikaru looked at the projector, it revealed Cornelia talking to Guilford and Darlton while steering her Knightmare through the forest. After hearing what Cornelia said to both of her commanding officers, Hikaru couldn't believe that Cornelia was afraid of what will the outcome would be if word gets out that she was one of the Magic Knights back at Area 11.

"It seems to me that you gave Ms. Cornelia quite the scare, Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu giggled in amusement.

"Well, it won't be the last we'll see from that Viceroy, Fuu!" Hikaru presumed. "Even then, we need to capture her and her officers before they find a way to escape Cephiro."

"Not to worry, Hikaru. Since we took away their jump drive from their wrecked ship, they won't get very far!" Lafarga said in a confident tone. "We'll rest up until nightfall and carry out several combat teams of Cephirian Gloucesters and Sutherlands accompanied by the Magic Knights and I in order to hunt the Viceroy down. However, they'll still send in another Britannian Battleship to come by and pick them up in just a couple of hours. We have until then to capture the Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire."

"Understood!" Lantis acknowledged. "Hikaru, are you and the Magic Knights up for it?"

"Yes, we are!" Hikaru replied in a positive, determined tone of voice.

* * *

As soon as Cornelia and her men met up with Euphy and Clovis at their rally point, they find themselves at the shores by sunset and made camp nearby a huge cave. After they parked their Knightmares inside the cave and Clovis' shuttle outside covered up in a camouflage net, all of the Britannian soldiers, Glaston Knights, the commanding officers, and the Viceroy disembarked. Everyone assembled in front of Cornelia as she makes her announcement to the rest of her remaining forces. When Cornelia went over their debriefing over their failed assault upon the Castle of Cephiro, she realized that their is only 30 of them left after the battle with the Magic Knights and the Cephirians. Before anyone else could say anything, Cornelia makes her announcement to her remaining soldiers and the Glaston Knights.

"I understand that we made a foolish spearhead assault upon that Castle last morning, leaving Clovis' battleship exposed out in the open above us! I will apologize for that. As a result, most of the crew onboard is either dead or captured by Cephiro's allies. In any other case, I was able to make contact with the Government Bureau. They said that they'll be sending in a fleet of Britannian ships to cover our retreat. I won't let any of you die in vain. We are to hold our ground here until they give us a lift onboard their ships. Once we have everyone on board, they'll immediate activate the jump drive to teleport all of us back to Area 11. Therefore, your orders right now are to stay alive until reinforcements arrive to pick us up! Any questions?!"

"Did you managed to find out who the Magic Knights really are?" One of the Glaston Knights asked.

"I did. Though, I made a really big mistake in not taking that female Eleven as one of my slaves!" Cornelia said, feeling disappointed.

As the Viceroy took out her PDA, she revealed a small projector screen to everyone around her. Upon seeing it, the Britannian soldiers were all shocked at noticing Hikaru's full profile in full view.

"When my spies hacked into the files from the NSX with their computer back onboard our Battleship, it turns out that Hikaru is one that shouldn't be underestimated with!" Cornelia said in a calm voice. "She already proven herself to be a very dangerous opponent despite at such a young age! Not because I faced her in battle more than once, but also because her Rune God Knightmare possesses the highest strength capabilities and resistances than any other Knightmare does. I already went over it with Darlton and Guilford. If any of you see her in battle again, don't try to get in her way! She's pretty much a loose cannon to begin with. If it hadn't been for Guilford, I wouldn't survive here at all! For now, just let Guilford deal with her!"

"What about everything that we left behind inside our wrecked battleship?" Darlton asked the Viceroy. "If the Cephirians get their hands on what was left behind back there, then..."

"OH SHIT!" Guilford gasped in shock. "Our jump drive generator is still back there on board our ship! If they get a hold of it, they'll gain access to Area 11 and we'll be forced to deal with the Armies of Cephiro there as well!"

"We can't do anything about our jump drive generator anymore, now that our ship has fallen into enemy hands. We're outnumbered and stranded in enemy territory. We're just going to have to boost up our defenses at the Government Bureau once we get back to the Tokyo Settlement!" Prince Clovis suggested. "Anyway, we have to hold our position in two hours tops until our escort unit arrives!"

"Yes, your majesty!" All the soldiers acknowledged in unison.

"Darlton, watch over Euphy and Clovis!" Cornelia ordered the general as she went back to her Gloucester. "Don't let Hikaru get anywhere near them!"

"Understood, your highness!" Darlton said as he saluted the Viceroy.

As Cornelia's men bolstered the defenses all over the beach, Darlton escorted Euphy and Clovis to the shuttle. Since most of their Knightmares are running low on Sakuradite Energy Fillers, except for Guilford's and the Glaston Knights' Gloucesters, and ammunition for their Knightmares' Assault Rifles, the Britannian pilots, Cornelia, and Darlton have no choice but to hide them all inside the cave and disembark. While they used the nearby logs at the beach to barricade their hideout and around their camouflaged shuttle, Guilford ordered some of his men to bring out their crates and weapons from inside Clovis' shuttle. The moment they laid their supply crates inside the barricade, Cornelia's soldiers loaded their Assault Rifles and mounted their heavy machine guns and missile launchers on top of the barricade, while Darlton, and Cornelia drew out their swords from within their military uniforms.

* * *

As the Magic Knights rest up for their next mission at nightfall, they spent some of their time hanging around with their friends at the courtyard. Unfortunately for Umi, she went with Ascot down to the residential quarters. The moment they got there, Ascot went on ahead to do some shopping with Umi. For Mokona, he was prancing around the residential quarters with Primera. In such crazy notice, the fluffy white rabbit was sneaking up on Umi, unaware of his presence. As soon as Mokona got close, he snatched Umi's wallet from her pocket. The moment Umi noticed Mokona's mischievous petty theft, the blue-haired girl started screaming in embarrassment and started chasing him around the residential quarters with a hammer in her hands before they ran out of the area. Just when Ascot came back to met up with Umi, he noticed that the blue-haired Magic Knight is nowhere to be seen.

"Umi, where did she go?!" Ascot muttered in confusion.

In the hallways, Umi continued her chase after Mokona as she made several failed attempts of bashing the fluff ball in the head with her comical hammer.

"MOKONA, YOU GET BACK HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" Umi roared in hysterically. "GIVE ME BACK MY WALLET!"

While Umi chased Mokona all over the area, the guards and civilians had big drops on the back of their heads as if they were watching a chase scene in a cartoon show. While Mokona kept jumping up and down, just to avoid Umi, he went "Beep! Beep!" all the way to the castle courtyard. For Primera, she smacked herself on the face after seeing the white fluff ball do something insane in front of the Magic Knight of Water. The moment Hikaru and Lantis walked into the courtyard, along with Mira, Fuu, and the children, they all see the fiasco the occurring between Umi and Mokona again, with the children, Mira, and Hikaru laughing their heads off.

"Man, that Umi will never learn!" Hikaru giggled as she sees Mokona jump on her shoulder.

The moment Umi ran up to Mokona and Hikaru, she started huffing and puffing out of frustration after her chase all over the courtyard.

"Can I have my wallet back, please?!"

"Give it to her, Mokona!" Hikaru ordered.

As Mokona jumped off Hikaru's shoulders, he dropped the wallet in front of Umi's feet before he went "Pu!" "Pu!" back into the castle.

"That stupid white fur ball stole my wallet at the Residential Quarters!" Umi growled at herself. "I swear, if he ever robs me again, I'm going to skin him alive!"

"Easy there, Umi!" Hikaru launghed to the stressed out Knight of Water. "Mokona just wants to play, doesn't he?!"

"Pu! Pu!" Mokona chirped happily!

"Say Hikaru, what was it like back at your world?" Mira asked out of curiosity.

"Well Mira, ever since Britannia invaded our homeland, it pretty much fell apart the same way Cephiro almost fell apart!" Hikaru explained.

"They said that the Prime Minister of Japan, Genbu Kururugi, committed suicide just to have all of Japan stand down from their futile resistance against the Holy Britannian Empire." Umi added in. "Though he did refused to surrender to the Britannians back then!"

"The Prime Minister of your world?" Mira said curiously.

"He was Mr. Suzaku's father back then," Fuu said briefly. "For some reason, Mr. Suzaku was feeling a little aloof after hearing about his father's death!"

"We did tried asking Suzaku how his father committed suicide," Hikaru added. "Unfortunately, he said it wasn't his place to say."

"Well, for some strange reason Suzaku might be hiding something that was unexpected!" Umi pondered.

"Maybe if we faced Mr. Suzaku again, I'm sure he'll try to at least confess on what really happened between him and his father," Fuu suggested.

"I hope we'll be able to get back to Area 11 to continue our fight with Britannia there very soon," Hikaru said with determination.

"Hikaru! It's almost time!" Clef said, with his voice echoing inside the Fire Knight's head.

"Mira, we'll be heading out!" Hikaru told the little brown-haired girl.

"Good luck, Hikaru!" Mira cheered in excitement.

As the Magic Knights head out to the main gate outside of the Courtyard, Lantis stood by and see his beloved Hikaru leave the area.

"Suzaku Kururugi!" Lantis muttered to himself. "I wonder what was his connection to the Empire as an Honorary Britannian?"

* * *

As soon as the sky turned dark, the Magic Knights went inside their Rune Gods once more and went on ahead to conduct their "Search and Capture" mission. Behind the Magic Knights, Lafarga is leading a team of 5 Cephirian blue customized Gloucesters, piloted by 5 of Cephiro's Elite Guards. As for Ferio, he's leading a team of 15 green-painted Sutherlands, piloted by Cephiro's rangers dressed in green hoods and capes.

"All right, ladies! You know the drill!" Lafarga announced to his squads. "We'll sweep the area up north into three teams! The Magic Knights will proceed forward, Ferio's team will head east and we are to head west. From what Geo calculated prior to our Search parties, we have two hours to capture Cornelia before the rest of her fleet arrives! Any questions?"

After a few seconds of silence, Lafarga drew out the Gloucester's MVS and charged to the west with his Knightmare Frame.

"Good! Let's move out!"

Upon hearing the Guard Captain's orders, the remaining two teams steered their Knightmares to the unknown. When the Magic Knights proceeded forward, they were also flying above Cephiro's landscape, accompanied by the GTO.

"Hey girls, sorry I'm late!" Geo spoke from inside his fighting mecha. "I had to fuel up the GTO from the NSX. I'll be helping you all out with my navigation from inside my cockpit!"

"Sounds good to me," Umi acknowledged while gliding in mid-air with Selece's Dragon Wings.

* * *

While inside the shuttle, Euphy couldn't help but stare at the beautiful night sky, the full moon, and the soothing ocean waves from one of the windows.

"I wish we hadn't picked a fight with the natives of this new world," Euphy muttered to herself in dismay with what Clovis did earlier. "This world is so beautiful and so peaceful. I getting the feeling that the natives don't even want to fight anymore. I mean, why did we even insist on declaring war with Cephiro anyway?"

"Sorry about that, sister," Clovis replied. "We were having trouble trying to maintain control of the unstable Sakuradite with our technology back in Area 11. Our father convinced us that Cephiro is known for its infinite willpower. The main source of that energy is likely coming from inside their Castle. We believed that if we take their power source from the Castle, it may help improve our control over the Sakuradite resources at Mt. Fuji. So, if we take that Castle down, we conquer all of Cephiro, naming it Area 25 and they'll have no choice but to surrender their power source to us! Unfortunately, because the Magic Knights rose up and rallied the armies of Cephiro and their allies against us, this may be easier said than done!"

"I wonder how did those Magic Knights came to be in the first place?" Euphy said curiously. "I mean, who were they before then?!"

"Well, it's very to believe this but one of the Magic Knights turned out to be an Eleven named Hikaru Shidou, who also came from the former Japanese Homeland of Tokyo," Darlton explained briefly.

"What?! Seriously?!" Clovis shrieked in fright. "Why would they make that lowly Eleven turn into one of those legendary warriors here?"

"They did say that only those from another world have the will to do so, here in Cephiro," Darlton continued. "I know this seems very odd, but now that I think about it from what Cornelia said earlier, that little spitfire lady reminds me of Suzaku Kururugi!"

"So that means, they were all just ordinary Elevens until just now!" Euphy summarized.

"If what you said is true, we still need to bring her in before Hikaru causes more trouble in Area 11!" Clovis suggested to the General. "I've got a very bad feeling about this!"

"Not yet! I still wanted to talk to her first before we do anything else!" Euphy said with determined negotiation.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea, your highness!" Darlton said negatively. "She already proved herself to be very dangerous when she almost defeated Cornelia this morning!"

"Maybe so, but I remember seeing something else in her eyes! From her sadness and her pain seven years ago, I feel pretty bad for her! Eleven or not, she's just the same like the rest of us!" Euphy said persistently.

"That's not a good excuse to make her stand down!" Clovis said in a rejected tone of voice. "Besides, you're not authorized to make any military decisions out on the battlefield for Cornelia!"

Feeling lost, Euphy grunted in dismay for not being able to talk to Darlton and Clovis out of the situation between them and the Magic Knights.

"I'm sorry, your highness. Your decisions for the Elevens can only come into play if they made you Empress of the Britannian Empire!" Darlton said to Euphy in denial.

"I hope one day, they'll find inner peace with Cephiro and its inhabitants!" Euphy said to herself as she started sulking on her seat inside the shuttle, holding her knees in with both of her arms.

* * *

After one hour of searching for the remains of Cornelia's strike force, Lafarga's team and Ferio's team were about to call off the hunt together for not being able to discover the enemy's whereabouts.

"Captain Lafarga, it seems like that we're running out of time!" Ferio said while in doubt through the communication channel inside his Green Customized Gloucester. "We only have less than a hour to capture Princess Cornelia!"

"Don't give up, your highness!" Lafarga replied from his Blue Gloucester. "We haven't searched around the beach area up north!"

Somewhere up north, above the trees, the Magic Knight trio flew above the beach area and landed on top of the sand. As they walked forward, the Magic Knights met up with Commander Topaz and his squad of soldiers piloting Red Sutherlands, bearing the emblem of Cephiro.

"Topaz, did you find their location yet?!" Hikaru asked desperately as she walked up to Topaz's Red-Orange Gloucester.

"Yes, my lady!" Topaz spoked through his communication channel from his Knightmare. "They're being hold up nearby a cave at the west edge of the Northern beach! They already setup all of their defenses with Heavy Machine Guns and Missile Launchers. Their guns will start blazing the moment they see us."

"Fuu, you know what you have to do!" Hikaru told the Knight of Wind.

"Yes, Ms. Hikaru! I'm on it!" Fuu said as she flew up into the sky with Windam.

"Let's move!" Hikaru ordered as she and Umi proceeded to the west. "We have half an hour to finish this hunt!"

"Yes, Pillar!" The Soldiers acknowledged in unison as they followed Hikaru from behind with their Sutherlands.

As soon as Euphy continued sulking inside the shuttle, she started hearing something moving on wheels from a distance. The moment the sub-viceroy looked through the window from where she was sitting at, Euphy spotted a group of Knightmares heading straight for them. When Euphy took a good look at them, they were bearing the emblem of Cephiro on their Tungsten Armor. Without further a due, Euphy took out her radio to contact her sister at the barricade.

"Cornelia! They're coming!" Euphy shouted through the radio.

At the barricade, Cornelia heard her sister's voice through the radio and issues the following orders to her remaining troops.

"Get ready to fire on my command!"

Just when Hikaru and her friends and warriors reached 200 meters close to where Cornelia is at, the Viceroy shouts out her orders at the top of her lungs!

"FIRE!"

Unfortunately, by the time they tried to shoot at Hikaru and the Cephirian Knightmares, Windam dropped from the sky in front of Cornelia and her troops and unleashed a huge wind-like barrier that warded off all small arms fire and incoming missiles.

"WINGS OF PROTECTION!"

"Britannia, it's payback time for raiding my village!" Topaz hissed from his Gloucester as he attempted to return fire with his wrist-mounted crossbow.

Unfortunately, Guilford's Gloucester intervened and knocked Topaz's Knightmare off-balance, letting the commander shoot aimlessly into the sky as he fell on his stomach. However, since Topaz refused to hold anything back, he got up and drew out his MVS before challenging Guilford to a fight. As Guilford drew out his MVS, he charged at Topaz with blades clashing into each other.

While the Cephirian Commander and Cornelia's Knight fought each other head on, Hikaru and the rest of Topaz's men closed their ranks and did a shield formation as soon as Fuu's spell disappeared. In an instant, Hikaru raised up her red shield in the front while the Cephirian Gloucesters activated their core luminous shields when the Britannians continued to open fire at them. Despite the efforts of the Britannian Soldiers, Hikaru and the Cephirian soldiers were able to get closer undamaged by their suppressing fire until Cornelia grabbed an RPG and shot at Rayearth in the face with it. Upon impact, the RPG missile exploded and knocked the Rune God a few inches backward before trying to maintain its balance. Cornelia's eyes widened in horror as she sees Rayearth kept charging closer. But before Hikaru was able to strike back at the Viceroy with her flame arrow, Guilford finally threw Topaz's Knightmare over his shoulder and rushed to the Viceroy's aid.

The moment Hikaru launched her fire spell at Cornelia, Guilford steered his Knightmare in front of her line of fire and activated his Core Luminous shield on its left hand, blocking it with ease. After the Flame Arrow exploded on the Knightmare's Luminous, Guilford swiped away the smoke it left behind and lurched his Gloucester at Rayearth with the MVS on its right hand. As the Gloucester clashed his blade against Rayearth's broadsword, they both backed away with Guilford launching his Slash Harkens at Hikaru. Rayearth moved left and right while dodging the Harkens before resuming his attack upon Guilford Knightmare.

"This has gone far enough, Hikaru!" Guilford bellowed in fury as he whacked his MVS on Rayearth's shield. "Do you really think your bright ideals here can really convince the inhabitants of this new world to fight by your side?!"

"Well, you and Cornelia should never have come here, Guilford!" Hikaru shouted as she made a counterattack on Guilford's blade with hers. "Cephiro belongs to all who lives there. I helped changed their world so that they'll all see freedom unfold before their very eyes!"

"You haven't seen anything from the Britannian Empire yet, young lady!" Guilford shouted back while holding his blade downwards, blocking Hikaru's sword from reaching the Gloucester's hip. "As long as I'm a Knight of Britannia serving under the Imperial Family, I will not let you lay a hand on any of the Princesses in the Empire! You're way in over your head, Hikaru! I'd wish you just go back in being a normal female Eleven than rather a full-fledged terrorist!"

* * *

Meanwhile back inside the shuttle, Clovis and Darlton watched the battlefield from the window, feeling safe from further harm. However, he was still sweating underneath his breath, fearing that the battle to conquer Cephiro will be turned against Clovis and his people. After watching Rayearth engage Guilford's Gloucester one-on-one, Clovis was praying that he and Euphy will be able to escape this terror before it gets worse. However, by the time Clovis turned around, he realized that Euphy isn't sitting anywhere in the passenger seats.

"What the?" Clovis gasped. "Where is Euphy?"

"Oh No!" Darlton said in shock.

* * *

Back out on the battlefield, Hikaru continued with her fight with Lord Guilford. As the battle between both of the knights intensifies, Hikaru slowly stood her ground while lashing out all sorts of torrents of magic and fire spells from her Escudo sword at Guilford's Gloucester. After dodging several of Hikaru's powers, Guilford finally moved in and lunged at Rayearth only to run into a trap that Hikaru has laid, thanks to Umi and Fuu.

"FUU! UMI! NOW!" Hikaru roared as Windam and Selece appeared from behind her.

Before Guilford could see what was going on, the green and blue Rune Gods cast their water and wind spells at his Gloucester, catching him off guard.

"SAPPHIRE WHIRLWIND!"

"EMERALD TYPHOON!"

As a stream of blue magic and a strong gust of wind headed straight for Guilford, he stood his ground and attempted to block both of Umi and Fuu's magic at the same time with his MVS. Upon impact however, Guilford slowly loses his ground as he was sent flying backwards towards the fortified barricade at the caves right where the Britannians are.

"ARGH!" Guilford shrieked as he felt his Knightmare hitting the cave walls, while the rest of the Britannian soldiers scattered to avoid the collision.

At the same time, Guilford's Gloucester also knocked out a couple of logs, machine gun emplacements, and hit one of the parked Knightmares in the rear, knocking him out cold. Upon seeing her Knight fall before them, Cornelia felt like that it is going to be the end of her war campaign in Cephiro. After seeing her downed knight for a couple of seconds, Cornelia turned around to see Rayearth approach her up front, with the other two magic Knights and their allied soldiers holding back against the Glaston Knights from outside, Cornelia drew out her sword in a nervous stance.

"If you surrender to us, I'll forfeit your life and your future, Viceroy Cornelia!" Hikaru demanded from her Rune God.

"I already told you before, Hikaru! I'll never surrender to someone as rebellious as you!" Cornelia hissed as she pointed her sword at the Knight of Fire.

"Very well, then..." Hikaru snarled as she came out of her Rune God and drew out her Escudo Broadsword.

However, before either Cornelia or Hikaru engaged in their personal fight with their blades raised up to next to their shoulders, Euphemia appeared from the darkness and stood in the way of the Fire Knight, raising her arms up wide to her sides, shielding Cornelia from Hikaru.

"Hikaru! Cornelia! Both of you, stop this foolishness at once!" Euphy shouted, ordering the two warriors to stand down. "This isn't how real women should behave, even as warriors out on the battlefield!"

"Who are you?!" Hikaru said sternly, while trying to maintain her guard.

"I am Euphemia li Britannia, 3rd Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire!" Euphy announced, making Hikaru's eyes widened with surprise.

"You don't understand what I've been through, even before all of this!" Hikaru shouted back, persistently at Euphy. "Your people have killed thousands of Japanese! And Cornelia made all of this happen! Now move aside!"

"Euphy, please stay out of this!" Cornelia ordered her sister. "Anyone who stands in our way must be neutralized at all costs!"

"Hikaru, please! It's not what you think!" Euphy continued as she stood her ground against the Knight of Fire. "I know you wanted more than just protect this country with your own heart!"

"You can't be serious, Euphemia!" Hikaru snarled. "Why do you even care about what's happening right now between Cephiro and Britannia?! This is a war!"

"She's not worth it because Cornelia is my elder sister!" Euphy answered. "So, if you think capturing her will help end the war in Cephiro, then you might as well capture me too! I don't want the people I love to die and I'm sure you don't want the same thing either!"

Before Hikaru could say anymore, Topaz's Knightmare came up beside her and makes his current report up front.

"Lady Hikaru! Enemy reinforcements have arrived and are they're launching heavy fire from above! We need to retreat!"

As Hikaru turned to face Topaz during announcing his report and looked back at the two Britannian Princesses, Hikaru took a deep breath and went back into her Rune God before taking off with the Cephirian Commander. While making her way out of the cave and regrouping with her friends, Hikaru's eyes widened with surprise as she realized that Euphy reminds herself of what she did three years ago, shielding Lafarga from Zagato and during her confrontation with Nova. For some reason, Hikaru is starting to think that there is something about Euphy that is different from the rest of the members of the Imperial Family.

"Euphemia." Hikaru muttered to herself, feeling lost.

* * *

After Hikaru and Topaz disappeared into the forest, along with her Rune God and his Knightmare, Cornelia came up to Euphy out of concern.

"Euphy, why would you protect me from Hikaru?" Cornelia asked in worry. "If anything happens to you, my heart would break!"

"I'm sorry sis, but I'm sure there has to be a way to resolve this without causing anymore conflicts with the natives in this world!" Euphy said with determination. "I'm starting to think that this land is already perfect the way it is now."

As Euphy and Cornelia head outside of the cave, they see the Avalon appear before their very eyes. It happens to be a floating battleship, bearing the emblem of the Holy Britannian Empire. The battleship happens to be the first airship to be introduced to the Empire. When the Avalon makes a safe landing at the beach of Cornelia's and Euphy's left, the landing ramps lay down on the soft ground. After a few minutes, a tall-handsome young man appeared before the two princesses. He had blonde hair and violet eyes. It was Schneizel el Britannia, 2nd Prince of the Britannian Empire and is currently the Prime Minister in their ranks. Very often, he was seen wearing a long, royal purple tunic with golden and black accents. On top of his tunic, Schneizel was wearing a stiff, black high-end collar with a crimson-silk inside and golden epaulettes on both of his shoulders. In his role, Schneizel is known for his cold-blooded strategies who is charismatic, manipulative, cunning, and ruthless. Just like Mao, Schneizel is one of the greatest adversaries that Lelouch had ever faced and is unable to beat him. The moment he stepped out on to the sand, Schneizel was met with Euphy and Cornelia with open arms.

"Brother!" Both princesses said in unison and with relief. "We didn't think you'd come for us!"

"Sorry I'm late!" Schneizel said calmly. "We had a bit of interception with two unknown ships on the way here! One was shooting out fireballs and one was shooting out yellow beams at us. Thankfully, our Core Luminous was able to withstand both of their blasts before we had our experimental Knightmare return fire."

"You mean the Gawain?" Cornelia asked.

"Yes. However, because it's weapon systems are still incomplete, it didn't do enough damage to both of the ships to send them crashing into the landscape." Schneizel said in embarrassment. "They're just heavily crippled while still in mid-air. So, what's the situation?"

"We made a failed attempt in taking down their castle in this country and they tried to finish us off here!" Cornelia summarized.

"At least I came by just in time to see them running back to their fort," Schneizel snickered. "I take it that you had trouble trying to conquer this land because of these so-called Magic Knights huh?!"

"I hate to say this, brother! But those Magic Knights are just as dangerous as the Black Knights back in Area 11," Cornelia added in. "What worse, is that they rallied the armies of this realm while fighting against us!"

"I see! Cephiro, that's the name of the new world that the Magic Knights are defending against us, isn't it?" Schneizel wagered. "Say, where's Prince Clovis?!"

"Your highness!" Darlton said as he ran up to the Britannian Prince while out of breath. "Prince Clovis has been captured during the confusion! When I went to get Euphy back, those filthy Cephirians attacked the shuttle that I came out from and grabbed Clovis red-handed!"

"No! Not Clovis!" Cornelia gasped, fearing for her other brother's safety.

"Fret not, my dear!" Schneizel said, trying to sympathize with his sister. "We'll find a way to bring him back. But for now, let's return to Area 11. We'll resume our attack upon the natives' castle later."

Feeling defeated for losing one of the Britannian Princes to the enemy, Cornelia had no choice but to help her men and Euphy pack up and bring their Knightmares onboard the Avalon in disgrace. As Euphy watched her subjects load their supplies and Knightmares onboard the battleship, Schneizel came up to her in a curious manner.

"So Euphy, did you see what did one of the Magic Knights look like?"

"Well brother, she was actually the very same girl that was suffering because of us so long ago!" Euphy said to Schneizel. "Even though she was a formidable opponent, I still noticed that deep down, she just wanted to find happiness too just like Nunnally does."

"Really?" Schneizel acknowledged. "Well, if it's about the daughter belonging to the Shidou couple that is serving us as personal servants, then I'll be damned if she comes after me next!"

"That's the last thing I would want to expect!" Cornelia grunted in embarrassment. "She was actually a lot more stronger than she looked, even with that strange Knightmare Frame of hers."

"She had a Knightmare Frame of her own?!" Schneizel asked Cornelia out of curiosity.

"I'll explain the details later! Right now, we have to go back to Area 11, before the Magic Knights and the Cephirians come after us!" Euphy told her elder brother as she went onboard the Avalon.

* * *

After heading back to the castle, the Magic Knights and the rest of their allied warriors decided to rest up until next morning. As soon as the sun rises up into the clear blue sky in the morning, Rakshata and her engineers have finally finished in constructing the Sakuradite Gateway leading back to Area 11. Just when the Magic Knights went outside of the castle to stretch their legs and arms out, they see the gateway fully operational in the courtyard.

"So darlings, what do you think?" Rakshata grinned. "This gateway will lead you all back to Area 11, right where the Black Knight base is at. I'm sure the leaders of all four countries will want to accompany you back to your homeland in order to keep Britannia at bay, right?!"

"Why, absolutely, Ms. Rakshata!" Fuu said cheerfully.

"Now that the built-in jump drives are fully installed onboard their ships, they'll be setting their courses to the outskirts of Area 11, where they slip into the enemy territory unnoticed." Rakshata continued. "The Dome of Fahren and the Bravada of Chizeta have also installed Core Luminous as their second defense shields to reinforce their protective barriers. Though, it was thanks to that Knightmare from inside the Avalon that they all received some minor damage all over their main decks. So, they still need to work on the repairs themselves when they get there."

"That's fine with us!" Umi said impatiently. "Let's pack up and head back to Area 11, everyone. We've got more work to do!"

As the Magic Knights grabbed their gear, three full detachments of Cephirians and Royal Guards proceeded to board the NSX, the Dome of Fahren, and on the Bravada of Chizeta, taking with them three full detachments of their customized Knightmare Frames. In just several hours later, they finished prepping up for their departure. Just when all three ships lifted up into the air, their crews activated their jump drives and in blink of an eye, they teleported themselves away from Cephiro. As for the rest of the inhabitants in the Castle, Mira, the kids, and the rest of the people of Cephiro bid farewell to their loved ones and the Magic Knights, praying for their victory against the Holy Britannian Empire as they see their favorite warriors head out into battle at Area 11.


	15. The Lancelot vs Rayearth

As soon as the three ships of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren have went into hyperspace from Cephiro, they immediately activated their cloaking devices, making them invisible to the naked eye. Onboard the NSX, Hikaru was seen at the bridge along with Clef, Lantis, Rakshata, Geo, Mokona, Zazu, and Lafarga. In the Dome of Fahren, Aska was sitting down at her throne with Sang Yun, Qiang Ain, Fuu, Ferio, and Presea standing next to to her. As for the Bravada of Chizeta, Umi, Caldina, Ascot, Tarta, and Tatra stood by in the main deck. During their trek, most of the crew members and warriors are standing by while watching the monitors from inside their ships.

Inside the NSX, Geo couldn't wait to see what kind of world that the Magic Knights are living in, the same goes for Aska and the twin princesses of Chizeta. While killing time before they reach their destination, most of the crew members went for some R & R, while the Magic Knights spent some time with several activities and recreation.

In the Dome of Fahren, Aska went to do some archery practice with some target dummies. Last time she did it with Fuu, Aska was frustrated because despite her winning streak over archery, the Princess of Fahren couldn't shoot down a single mini Djinn. As a result, Fuu was able to score over a dozen mini Djinn with her own Archery Skills that she learned back at the Tokyo Settlement. When Aska challenged Fuu to an Archery contest, it was done out of a demand to have the Knight of Wind hand over her Rune God and her Escudo Sword to her. But since Aska lost, she made an erroneous order of recapturing Fuu due to the fact that the Knight of Wind was able to distract and stun most of the Fahrenian Guards on sight with her magic and her bow and arrow. Since it's all in the past over and done, Aska was able to make it up for her losses by practicing everyday on shooting arrows at the mini djinns after Fuu went back to her world three years ago. While Aska and Fuu are having fun doing archery together without any serious competition, they both laughed out of happiness and excitement. As for Ferio, he watched both of the young women have fun, along with Qiang Ain and Sang Yung.

In the Bravada, Tarta did some sparing with Umi again. But this time, it was done out of Tatra's amusement, while Ascot and his beasts watched nonchalantly from a distance. From the first time they had a duel, Umi and Tarta were bickering in such obnoxious tones after they accidentally decapitated a golden elephant statue by its long trunk. As of now, the Knight of water and Tarta made sure that all of Chizetian Royal decorations are out of the way before they started dueling to kill some time when reaching their destination. For Caldina, she did some gambling with a few Chizetian guards at the mess hall, much to Tatra's delight. Even though Tatra lost a couple of bets with Caldina, the elder Chizetian Princess was able to smile in a nonchalant pose while holding her chin up with her right hand.

While continuing their trek to Area 11 onboard the NSX, Zazu lead Hikaru and Lantis down to the recreation room to do some simulations. For Clef and Lantis, they went down to the brig to interrogate Prince Clovis. It was a long time since Hikaru was onboard the NSX three years ago. When Zazu escorted Hikaru to meet with Geo and Eagle, they rode on a scooter that was attached to a rail leading to the Commander's Quarters. After doing several simulations with using holographic Knightmares against Rune Gods, Hikaru decided to take a break in her private quarters with Zazu Torque. While they started eating a few sweets and drinking some tea, Zazu noticed that Hikaru was feeling anxious after facing against the Viceroy of Area 11 and her sister Euphy, who happens to be the sub-viceroy of Area 11.

"Say Hikaru, are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, Zazu!" Hikaru replied in a nervous tone.

"It's not about Princess Cornelia, is it?!" Zazu assumed. "If it was, we will find a way to capture her the next time we face her in battle! Besides, she may be a Female Commander of the Holy Britannian Empire, but even she has her weaknesses. You know what I'm talking about, right?!"

"Well, there is something about her sister that I couldn't help but notice," Hikaru replied. "That Euphy reminded me of myself when I ran into Zagato during the time that Lafarga was losing against him. I didn't use any of my powers yet until I showed the strength of my heart in front of Rayearth."

"Who was she again?!" Zazu asked out of curiosity.

"She introduced herself as the 3rd Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire: Euphemia li Britannia!" Hikaru summarized. "I don't know why would she get in my way without having anything to use against me."

"Maybe she wanted to show you that there is still light within the Britannian Empire, despite how they razed your world to the ground?" Zazu guessed.

"I don't know, Zazu!" Hikaru denied. "I'm mean, what do you think she would do if she were to be the Viceroy of Area 11?"

"Who knows?" Zazu replied after taking another sip of his tea. "I mean, she might have the same kindness like Commander Eagle did, just like that one time when Eagle tried to save Lantis from Nova."

"If what you say is true about Euphy, I might need to speak to her on what she really wanted in Area 11," Hikaru suggested to herself.

"Don't worry, Hikaru! I'm sure we'll work something out with Euphy," Zazu said with confidence.

Unable to say anymore, Hikaru turned towards the window from her private quarters to see the other two ships inside streams of blue and purple light, indicating that the ships and the NSX are still in hyperspace heading towards Area 11.

* * *

Meanwhile back the Ashford Academy in Area 11, Lelouch discovered that after his second encounter with Mao, the crazed Chinese Orphan abducted his sister Nunnally out of the blue, leaving behind a picture of the blind little Britannian girl tied up to her wheelchair. Mao threatened that if Lelouch doesn't show up in 5 hours, Nunnally will be blown to smithereens inside the underground sewer system. Ultimately, Suzaku got a wind of what is happening between Lelouch and Mao and decided to take action against the deranged psychopath. However, by the time Suzaku attempted to arrest Mao for kidnapping and for an attempted bomb threat, the Chinese Geass user spouts out Suzaku's past, telling him that he killed his own father, much to Lelouch's shock! Despite this, Suzaku was denied of being punished for this sins, thanks to his unexpected luck of cheating death more than once, even while out on the battlefield. After Mao left the area and got shot by C.C outside, Suzaku couldn't help but feel traumatized and stunned as he kneeled to the ground helplessly while Lelouch attempted to clarify on what the Honorary Britannian did seven years ago.

"Is it true, from what Mao said? Did you really killed your own father?"

As Suzaku slowly turned to face Lelouch, his eyes widened with fear over his past seven years ago.

"L-Lelouch, I-I..." Suzaku stammered in fear.

"I see, you're not the only one with that secret," Lelouch added in. "Kirihara, he claimed that Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi committed suicide to stop his cabinet members from issuing a do-or-die resistance. The story wasn't necessary to begin with for both Japan and Britannia. In fact, the Magic Knights haven't known about what you've been through yet either."

"T-Thank for that," Suzaku acknowledged as he stopped trembling in fear.

After taking Suzaku's acknowledgement for granted, Lelouch turned around and walked out of the area. As soon as Lelouch went outside, he attended to an art class while thinking about the fact that his best friend had to bear the burden of killing his father seven years ago. Moving on, Lelouch was forced to do a pose so that the other students could draw him out on their sketch pads during Art Week.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Britannian Government Bureau, Schneizel's Avalon arrived and dropped off Cornelia, Euphy, Darlton, Guilford, and the rest of his men. After they all went his the Bureau to rest up, resupply, and rearm themselves and their Knightmares, Schneizel ordered the crew of the Avalon to set a course to another destination outside of Area 11. As for Euphy, she went with Darlton to attend to an art contest at one of the Britannian Museums to clear her mind after her encounter with Magic Knight Hikaru and her followers at the New World of Cephiro.

While taking a tour around the Art Museum, Euphy couldn't help but think about what is happening to Prince Clovis while taken hostage by the Cephirians. Other than that, Euphy turns to her left to observe several art pictures hanging on the red walls, with Darlton standing right next to the Sub-Viceroy of Area 11. On the walls, Euphy sees a painting of a two cottages with a stone walkway in front of both of them.

For the painting on the left of the first one, there is Charles zi Britannia raising his right hand up high while standing in front of the podium, as if the 98th Emperor was making his speech in front of all of his faithful subjects. He had long white hair that was fashioned into Renaissance-style like curls, angular violet eyes, and is seen as a tall-muscular built Britannian Nobleman. What no one knows is that Charles had a Geass that allows him to rewrite and erase people's memories upon eye contact, which was given to him by his brother V.V. Throughout his time, Charles was a cold, intelligent man who only believed that only the strongest can survive in the new world, while society rises to its fullest. He spends most of his time in another dimension called the Sword of Akashu. Charles only sole-purpose was to destroy god and recreate the world to become a gentler place. After taking over Japan, Charles was able to foresee another world that is also suffering in similar terms due to political conflict and despair. From V.V's point of view, Charles discovered that the new world is known for its willpower and peaceful democracy called Cephiro. Even though the countries that are attempting to take over Cephiro have given up, Charles still believed that Cephiro still needs to be controlled by someone who has enough power to do so because without power, there cannot be any hope for a country like Cephiro to survive. So by his will, Charles ordered Clovis and the rest of his sons and daughters to take Cephiro by force as well as rooting out the leader that has the power to support Cephiro and its infinite sources. Charles also discovered, according to the Cephirian History, that the leader, a.k.a the Pillar of Cephiro, has the ultimate willpower to help change the world, allowing its inhabitants to rebuild it without their support. Since the Pillar of Cephiro has yet to be discovered after leaving the land three years ago, Charles had no choice but to declare war on that country in order to get the Pillar's attention. After learning that a group of warriors with strange Knightmares appeared and fought back against the Britannians, Charles finds this course of action to be very interesting beyond all reason.

* * *

Just when Ohgi is about to eat lunch, Inoue appeared from behind. Before Ohgi could say anything, Inoue makes her report in front of the Deputy Commander.

"We just received word that the Magic Knights and their followers have arrived at port near our HQ!"

"Is that so?" Ohgi asked, feeling a bit relieved.

Before Inoue could say anymore, Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, and the leaders from all four allied countries appeared before her and Ohgi. As they turned around to face them, Hikaru makes her speech in front of them.

"So Ohgi, anything unusual happened while we were gone?"

"Well, we still haven't made any moves against Britannia yet!" Ohgi acknowledged. "What happened back in Cephiro?!"

"Cornelia launched a foolish assault upon our Castle. But it was thanks to Ascot and our allies that we were able to destroy Clovis' battleship, driving them all the way to the northern shores," Umi summarized in a cheerful tone. "Unfortunately, they escaped with the aid of another Britannian Battleship that appeared above the ocean."

"Anyway, we brought all of our friends from Cephiro here. They'll be staging several missions in Area 11 for awhile until we find a way to free our people from the Britannian Government Bureau!" Hikaru added in with determination. "Now that the swordsmen of Cephiro are able to commandeer the Knightmares that they have captured from the enemy, it will be a matter of time before we'll turn back the tide!"

"Excellent!" Ohgi replied, followed by a small grin on his face. "Then let's..."

"Lady Hikaru! Ohgi! We need your help!" Urabe spoke out loud as he, Senba, Asahina, and Nagisa appeared behind the Magic Knights and the Deputy Commander.

As all four members bowed their heads in respect, Ohgi and Hikaru bowed as well before replying to their requests.

"Who are they?" Fuu asked Ohgi.

"They happened to be the Four Holy Swords under the commander of Lt. Colonel Tohdou!" Hikaru said, answering Fuu's question.

"Tohdou?!" Umi and Fuu asked Hikaru in unison.

"He was Suzaku's former instructor from the very same school that was rivaling against the Shidou Kendo School years ago!" Hikaru continued.

"Wait, you actually know them, Ms. Hikaru?!" Fuu asked as her eyebrows lifted up out of curiosity.

"They were there when the Cornelia's forces were engaging the JLF at Narita!" Hikaru explained briefly as she introduced the Four Holy Swords to her comrades. "This is Senba, Urabe, Asahina, and Nagisa, the remanent officers of the Japanese Liberation Front!"

Upon hearing what Hikaru just said, Umi and Fuu both gasped in astonishment after realizing that Hikaru already made contact with the Four Holy Swords after their battle at Narita. Before they could say anything else, Senba steps in to make his speech in front of the Knight of Fire.

"Hikaru, Lt. Colonel Tohdou was captured by the Britannian Forces and is awaiting for execution. He sacrificed himself so that we could escape."

"We do need Mr. Zero's and Mr. Clef's approval first!" Fuu suggested to the Four Holy Swords.

"And you must be Fuu Hououji and Umi Ryuuzaki!" Urabe spoke while grinning, addressing the two Magic Knights with their full names. "It's been a honor to meet you all in person. Though, I find it hard to believe that the Magic Knight Elevens are all actually young teenage women, not that I care too much about it of course."

"So girls, I take it that you all have Knightmare Frames too, right?!" Asahina theorized the Magic Knights.

"I guess you guys could say that!" Umi replied in a anxious tone. "Mine is Selece, the Dragon Lord of the Ocean."

"Mine is Windam, the Lord of the Sky!" Fuu announced confidently.

"Selece and Windam, eh?!" Nagisa muttered to herself. "If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that another secret group of Elevens would come up with a secret agenda in order to fight back against the Britannian Empire."

"I'll call Zero to see what will be his verdict!" Hikaru said as she took out her cellphone to make contact with the leader of the Black Knights.

As Hikaru makes her call towards Zero, she told him about the request made by the members of the Four Holy Swords. After for a few seconds, Zero makes his verdict loud and clear.

"We'll help them, Hikaru!"

"Are you sure, Zero?!" Hikaru asked, trying to clarify with the Black Knight Leader's response.

"The Black Knights fight for the cause of justice. And you told me that you and the Magic Knights fight for their beliefs," Zero added in. "It won't make much of a difference. We'll use the Assembly method B13. Have the Four Holy Swords take the section 2 Knightmares course 18 with Diethard handling it all. Hikaru, you and the Magic Knights help me provide a covering escort for me and Kallen to rescue Tohdou. Have Geo Metro provide covering fire from above with his GTO, while the Four Hour Swords move in and secure the area. Once we regroup after we rescue Tohdou, we escape immediately. Also, alert those who are to rendezvous with us!"

"Understood, Zero!" Hikaru said as she turned to face the Four Holy Swords with an simple nodding gesture, indicating that Zero will participate in rescuing Tohdou.

"Are we going to start now, Ms. Hikaru?" Fuu asked with a bit of encouragement.

"Yes, we will!" Hikaru acknowledged with the Knight of Wind's question. "After all, I owe Tohdou this much. Now, let's do it!"

* * *

Onboard the NSX, Clovis is seen locked up inside a cell that is surrounded by white, grey walls with a sliding door that can only be opened from the outside. After taking the Britannian Prince into custody, Clovis was given a new set of clothes to wear, forced to replace his regal imperial outfit with a white prison jumpsuit. Feeling humiliated by the Autozamians, Clovis felt even more disgusted to think that Ascot's beasts would kidnap him while cowering inside his shuttle. Earlier, right after Darlton got out to get Euphy back, Griffore ripped out the top of the shuttle with his bare hands and grabbed Clovis by the waist in a tight manner. Without hesitation, Darlton attempted to intervene as he drew out his handgun and started shooting at the Anthro Griffon. However, Insectoid landed on his two feet right behind the Britannian General and held him face flat on the ground with his dark-blue hands. Despite Darlton's struggle to get up, the insect-like humanoid was too strong for him to resist. Before Darlton knew it, Griffore carried Clovis all the way to Lafarga and his combat team of Gloucesters before they all disappeared into the forest with him.

Before Clovis could think about a way to escape, the sliding doors opened. As the Prince squinted his eyes to see who is outside of his cell, Geo Metro appeared from the door way along with two of his soldiers, pointing their guns at Clovis.

"So Clovis, I hope you're proud of yourself after butchering up the Cephirians like helpless pigs!" Geo growled.

"Why do you even care about Cephiro anyway?" Clovis smirked. "You're not even born from there!"

"That doesn't matter, Clovis!" Geo said persistently. "Commander Eagle gave us one final wish to have us and the crew of the NSX to protect Cephiro!"

"Is that a fact?" Clovis cackled. "What if he didn't, huh?!"

"Then we wouldn't even be here!" Geo said, answering Clovis' question. "Besides, the three countries used to all have reasons in conquering Cephiro after Princess Emeraude passed away. Fahren's reason was a bit recreational and childish. Chizeta wanted to expand their country since it was as small as Pluto. Ours, however, was to save our dying planet from extinction."

"What do you mean?!" Clovis asked snobbishly.

"Our country was suffering from a disease that is threatening to shut down our life force due to the lack of mental energy that keeps us Autozamians up and running. And Eagle was suffering from the worst out of the lot of us." Geo explained grimly. "I tried to help him the best way I could, but Eagle was a stubborn fool who refused to give up on us and all of Autozam. Unfortunately, his time ran out because of two things: One, he felt pity when learning that Cephiro is suffering from a similar fate and since the Magic Knights are their only hope, Eagle had no intention of letting any of them die for he believed that they and Clef can help save Autozam in his place. And two, he was already losing his health even before he came to Cephiro."

"Geo, you mean...?" Clovis gasped in shock.

"We used to invade Cephiro just for the sake of our survival! However, when Clef and his associates helped rebuild Autozam after the war of the three countries, we now stand as one alongside the Cephirians, Fahrenians, and Chizetians, spreading our joy, our happiness, and our years of peace." Geo concluded. "If don't have a good reason like that to invade a country and was able resolve this with its inhabitants peacefully, you'll be hated across the entire world and will be hunted down endlessly! Is that what you what?!"

Feeling lost from what Geo is elaborating, Clovis felt silent while cowering before the tall sub-commander of the NSX.

"It was thanks to the fact that Eagle became friends with Lantis, and then Hikaru that we were able to make a pact with Cephiro three years ago," Geo continued. "You know not what you do in that country at all because anyone who poses a threat to the Cephirians, is likely to pose a threat to the neighboring allied countries as well."

"Is that why you and the other two countries attempted to intercept with my forces at Mt. Dakurd?" Clovis asked in a frightened tone.

"Since the Magic Knights were able to save our countries from attacking each other as well, we have all gave them the greatest honor they deserve while unifying our allegiances towards Cephiro and their inhabitants," Geo added in. "It was during the time when we all faced Lady Debonair in the final battle for Cephiro that we were all able to stand up for all of our friends."

Before Clovis could say anymore, Hikaru appeared behind Geo as she makes her announcement towards the sub-commander of Autozam.

"Geo, Zero has given you an assignment for our next mission in Area 11!"

"Okay then, I'll be right there!" Geo replied as he turned to face the Knight of Fire.

"Is that girl...?" Clovis asked, noticing the short conversation behind Geo much to his shock.

"Yes, that would be Hikaru Shidou, one of the Magic Knights protecting Cephiro three years ago!" Geo summarized.

"No way!" Clovis gasped in fright. "I thought they be a lot more than just girls from Area 11!?"

"There's always the first time for everything, Clovis." Geo added in. "See you around, Prince Clovis."

As Geo left the area, he closed the cell door behind him before disappearing with Hikaru out of the ship's brig.

"There is so much things in Cephiro that are unknown to us Britannians," Clovis thought while feeling drowned in Geo's recent speech.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Britannian Government Bureau, Cornelia was seen standing outside of the building. In her mind, the Viceroy couldn't stop thinking about her unexpected encounter with Hikaru back in the New World of Cephiro. In Cornelia's surroundings, squads of three Sutherland Knightmares are lined up in front of a moving train. Other than that, she was thinking about assigning a knight to protect Euphy from Hikaru in the battles that will lie ahead. As she was drowned in her own thoughts on how to deal with the Magic Knight Eleven, Guilford stepped in from behind as he makes his conversation with Cornelia.

"We just received word that Tohdou will be executed this night!"

"Well since the JLF is defunct, I won't attend the execution," Cornelia replied. "As a matter of fact, let Kururugi handle the execution."

"Speaking of execution, if we ever take down that spitfire lady, should have her executed as well?" Guilford asked the Viceroy.

"Not yet, Guilford. We still haven't discovered the true identities of the other Magic Knights fighting alongside Hikaru," Cornelia said in denial. "From what Baroness Nu said, there were three of those strange warriors from Area 11 that laid waste to our forces in the New World of Cephiro. We still need to capture all of them first, so that the entire world will bear witness of what would happen if they defiled the Holy Britannian Empire."

"I see." Guilford acknowledged.

"Viceroy, I'm here!" Euphy said as she appeared from Cornelia's right.

"Sorry to summon you here. How's everything at the Art Museum?" Cornelia said to Euphy.

"The dedication will start at night." Euphy replied before making her reports to the other areas outside of Area 11. "The NAC reported that there is unrest in Ishikawa."

"I bet there is movement coming from the E.U and the Chinese Federation," Cornelia assumed. "There was also a report that a fleet of strange ships have been sighted in the southern areas of Area 11 before they disappeared in a flash."

"I wonder if it was those ships that were defending Cephiro from the other day?" Euphy pondered, referring to Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren.

"If it was, then that could mean the armies of Cephiro are also here in Area 11 as well," Cornelia assumed. "They may send in agents or spies to watch our every move in Area 11. So, we may need to prepare for the unexpected. I'll leave Darlton here with you incase you have any questions while I'm gone."

As Guilford handed over a log book to Cornelia, it contained a military roster that describes the names of the soldiers serving under the Britannian Military.

"From what we spoke of earlier, you may need a knight to help you deal with Hikaru and the Magic Knights on the battlefield," Cornelia suggested to Euphy as she gave the log book for the sub-viceroy to go over. "You may choose anyone of them to be your knight; they're all excellent soldiers!"

* * *

At the Black Knight HQ, the NSX, the Dome of Fahren, and the Bravada of Chizeta are all parked inside the loading docks, completely covered in a camouflage net. After unloading all of Cephiro's troops off the three ships, they all disguised themselves as regular Japanese citizens wearing normal, ragged clothing, removing their combat armor and their weapons and storing them inside their dorms onboard the ships, replacing them with combat knives and small crossbows, safely concealed within their new outfits. However, their customized Knightmares were stored inside the armory across from where the Black Knight's Knightmares are stationed at. As soon as they done making preparations in blending in with the Elevens, the Cephirians went exploring all around Area 11 without raising any suspicion from the Britannian Forces. However, since they're still at war with them, the Cephirians were given a curfew to return to base at nightfall, just in case they need to prepare for battle there, as well as not engaging any Britannians in the city unless ordered to do so.

As for Presea, she disguised herself as an Eleven maid dressed in brown and yellow clothes with an apron hanging around her neck. She still kept her pony tail tied to her long brown hair just to maintain her accessories. For Caldina, she replaced her Chizetian dialect with a red tube top, black skirt, and with small golden earrings and a necklace. Before Ascot went with Umi to explore Area 11, he replaced his Palu summoner robes with a green turtleneck sweater and white slacks. After the two Cephirians and Chizetian finished putting on clothes to adapt to Area 11, they went with Ferio, Topaz, Lantis, Lafarga, and Clef, who is now wearing a formal black outfit with a blue necktie, to a G-1 Base that was captured and refurbished by the Black Knights to carry out undercover missions around the Magic Knight's homeland.

For the leaders of the three allied countries of Cephiro, they disguised themselves as Britannian Nobles so that they can blend in with the Britannian citizens at Area 11, along with gathering any information about the Empire's armies thanks to the agents of the Kyoto group. After Rakshata got off the NSX, she makes her rendezvous with her fellow researchers before meeting up with Diethard, the Four Holy Swords and Zero.

After giving permission from Clef to help the Four Holy Swords rescue Tohdou from execution, Hikaru and her group make their way through the city slums to meet up with Kallen, Senba, Urabe, Nagisa, Asahina, and Zero. During their night rescue mission, a conference was held at the Art Museum by Princess Euphy and General Darlton at sunset. Despite the questions coming from the audience revolving around politics, the Magic Knights, and Euphy's personal knight, Darlton and the Art Manager disregarded most of them and will only answer to those concerning the museum only. At the same time, Euphy couldn't come up with any words to answer any of the irrelevant questions from the audience.

At the prison area, it happens to be a very huge area, complex area. At the entrance of the prison, there is three huge buildings that lead to the entry to the interior. In the interior of the prison, there were three tall towers stationed in two rows, with 6 prison longhouses attached to each other like a giant star below each tower. In one of the prison longhouses, Tohdou is kneeling on the floor in silence while inside his prison cell, wearing a straight-jacket that is tying both of his hands behind his back. As the prison guard came up to Tohdou, the guard tells Tohdou that his executioner will be one of his former students, Suzaku Kururugi!

In one of the Prison towers, Suzaku, Lloyd, and Cecil are all sitting on a couch inside the office as the Prison Director came up to them with paperwork for them to sign. However, before Suzaku was able to fill up the paperwork at the office, along with Cecil and Lloyd, an explosion occurred from outside of the office, much to the Prison director's shock.

As all four people turned around to see the windows from the office, there was a huge fire coming from a distance away.

* * *

Outside of the Prison towers, a huge squad of Sutherlands came out to investigate the source of the explosion. By the time the Sutherlands got closer, they were blasted away by incoming fire, coming from the smoke. It turns out that the explosion blew up a hole in the huge prison walls. As soon as the Sutherlands halted, they see four Knightmares appear from the smoke, along with the Geo Metro's GTO. The new Knightmares happened to be Gekkas, now piloted by the Four Holy Swords. As the Gekkas moved in, they made swift sword strikes across four Britannian Sutherlands all at once, cutting them in two before they exploded. As for Geo, he unleashed a salvo of missiles from his GTO's shoulder missile pods while in mid-air and blew up 5 Sutherlands in one go. When more Sutherlands came up from behind and opened fire upon the four Gekkas, they turned around and unleashed a firing barrage of Custom Hand Guns at them.

"Geo, watch our rear flanks!" Nagisa told the Autozamian from her Gekka cockpit.

"I'm on it!" Geo spoke through Nagisa's communication channel.

When the GTO hovered 50 feet above the Gekkas, he shot out several blasts from his shoulder cannon and took down another squad of Britannian Knightmares on their right. As soon as the GTO landed on the ground, he drew out his laser sword and cut one Sutherland's head off before chopping off both of its legs, making him fall on his back. As three more Sutherlands charged forward and attempted to shoot at the GTO with their Assault Rifles, Geo steered his mecha up high above 14 feet from where they're standing and shoot out one grappling hook from its right shoulder. Just when the GTO's hooks grabbed one Sutherland by the leg, Geo swung the enemy Knightmare from its left and whacked the other two in their sides. Upon impact, all three Sutherlands crashed into each other and exploded at once. While the fight between the Four Holy Swords, Geo, and the Britannian Sutherlands continued, Urabe and Asahina couldn't imagine how superior their Gekkas really are compared to their Burai Kais.

* * *

Upon hearing about the situation happening outside of the Prison longhouse that Tohdou is held in, the prison guard took out his handgun and pointing at the Lt. Colonel as the prison cell opened up.

"It seems that there is a change of plans here," The prison guard announced. "My superiors have just ordered me to unofficially have you executed. So, any last words?!"

"It'll be a life that I'll give up once before!" Tohdou stated before facing his demise. However, before the guard could shoot at Tohdou, Zero's metallic voice started blaring out from behind him.

"In that case, I'll claim your life for myself!"

"What?! Who said...AUUUUUGGGGHHHHH!" The Prison guard muttered before he meets a crumbling wall crushing him to death from behind.

As the walls collapsed, Rayearth and Zero's Burai appeared from outside, along with Windam, Selece, and the Guren MK-II waiting behind both of them. Just now, Rayearth brought the wall down with his huge Broadsword before Zero appeared right next to him.

"Hello, Lt. Colonel Tohdou. We meet again!" Hikaru exclaimed from inside her Rune God.

"Hikaru? Zero?" Tohdou exclaimed. "I didn't know you two came for me!"

"Kyoshiro Tohdou, the only Japanese warrior that fought against the Holy Britannian Empire seven years ago and brought them to their knees in defeat," Zero announced, clarifying Tohdou's story.

"Why are you both here?" Tohdou asked Zero and Hikaru. "Are you trying to convince me to perform a miracle too?!"

"I brought a miracle towards the inhabitants of Cephiro!" Hikaru added in. "I can do the same for you as well. In fact, Umi and Fuu also brought forth a miracle to all of our friends that believed and supported us on the battlefield. However, right now..."

"It's not just a miracle, Tohdou!" Zero announced for Hikaru. "It was a flawless victory because it was based on perfect intelligence work; that's why we need you to aid the Black Knights and the Magic Knights in Area 11!"

"You can't be serious, Zero!" Tohdou replied in denial. "Ever since General Katase is dead, I no longer have any wish to live anymore. Therefore, I wish to die too."

"DON'T BE A FOOL!" Hikaru shouted back at the former Lt. Colonel. "Think about it. You let me and my brothers live in the Kururugi Residence and helped rebuild our Kendo School during the time when Britannia took over Japan. When you let me spar with Suzaku, I know now that as long as we have the strength left to fight on, there won't be anything that I cannot do. It was thanks to you, Lantis, and Clef that I was able to believe in myself that I would one day find a way to win against the forces of darkness in grim events like this. By helping you escape to fight another day, this is my way of paying you back after seven long years of being ruled over by the Britannian Empire."

"WHAT?! Are you sure you want to do this, Hikaru?! You're likely going to become just as threatening as myself when facing against the Britannian Forces out there!" Tohdou snapped in shock.

"I don't care. Besides, I'm doing this for my family and for my friends!" Hikaru replied with determination. "I may have saved Cephiro from destruction, but my journey to fight to live with the people I love is only just the beginning! It's how I spread my miracle towards the Cephirians. By allying with the Black knights, it's my chance to bring forth the very same miracle for my people too!"

"She's right on one many occasions, Tohdou!" Zero added in. "You must take responsibilities for the miracle that you'll make! The resistance in Area 11 is more intense than that of any other Area because Japan surrendered even before exhausting all of its military strength. By giving up too soon, you have failed to carry on the great hope known as the Miracle of Itskushima!"

"You mean, it was my fault that Japan lost?!" Tohdou asked, summarizing on where Zero is getting at.

"Yes. Take Hikaru for example. She and the Magic Knights were able to gain the power to defeat the enemies in Cephiro because the people of the new world believed in them, for it was a miracle for them to succeed in battle, regardless of the challenging perils that stood in their way!" Zero continued.

"You have to show your endeavor once more!" Hikaru said, trying to encourage the former JLF warrior up front. "Thanks to us Magic Knights, the people of Cephiro convinced not to live in fear anymore and were able to fight alongside us to the bitter end. Even now, they continue to do so because they portrayed us as their saviors! So, the least you can do is continue fighting in order to make everyone's miracles turn into a reality by saving them first before you can die!"

Upon hearing what Hikaru and Zero told him, Tohdou started grinning underneath his breath. It has been clear to him that Tohdou may be given a second chance to stand up for the former country of Japan once more.

"Very well, Hikaru!" Tohdou smiled. "If you really are a true knight serving and fighting for the New World and for Japan, then show me what lies beyond the battlefield that you're fighting in!"

"Be my guest, sir!" Hikaru replied as she reached out her hand towards Tohdou, allowing him to hitch a ride on Rayearth's shoulder.

* * *

As the battle continued throughout the prison area, Geo fired several more shots at the enemy Sutherlands with the GTO's shoulder cannon while hovering 50 feet above the ground! In addition, the GTO shot out a green laser that stunned one Sutherland, making it collapse on its torso. When Geo sees the Four Holy Swords move forward, he aimed the shoulder cannon at the entrance of another building and blasted the doors sky high, paving way for the Gekkas while they continued to shoot down more Sutherlands that came from both their right and left. The two Gekkas evaded the enemy fire coming from the Britannian Sutherlands, they both fired their harkens at the Sutherlands while on the move. Before they saw what was coming, one Sutherland was dissected by the waist and the other Sutherland was beheaded by the Gekkas' slash harkens before they exploded the moment they collapsed.

When the four Gekkas and the GTO reached their rally point, Geo fired up a signal flare from his Mecha to issue a rally with Hikaru's group. The moment the Gekkas steered away from the wall on their left, another explosion occurred, letting out a big hole as a huge truck came out of the rubble. On the other side of the prison area, Guren, Zero's Burai, Rayearth, Windam, and Selece appeared as they approached the convoy some covering fire and with their battle spells. As the two Knightmares and three Rune Gods fought their way towards Geo's signal flare, they blasted every single enemy Sutherland that appeared in a instant, before they even had the chance to open fire. After taking down several enemies on the way to the rally point, the Magic Knights finally ran into Geo, who is still firing a barrage of missiles at the prison towers at random, much to Fuu's shock.

"It's about time you showed up, ladies!" Geo grinned in amusement. "I never had so much fun with my GTO since our battle at Mt. Darkurd."

"Don't get too crazy, Mr. Geo!" Fuu warned the Autozamian Commander. "Remember, you have to keep a low profile in our world during your visit in Area 11!"

"Yeah, whatever!" Geo grunted in embarrassment.

As the four Gekkas and the huge truck made a halt in the middle of the open prison area, the truck turned its cargo around and opened up the shutters, revealing a new Knightmare for Tohdou to use in the battlefield. It happens to be a customized Gekka with two red hair-like appendages flowing from the back of its head. Unlike the other Gekkas used by the Four Holy Swords, Tohdou's was painting in black and is armed with a Brake Sword. As Zero's Burai turned around while steering backwards towards the truck, the cockpit opened up, revealing Tohdou standing tall before acknowledging his reunion with the Four Holy Swords. As the four Gekkas came up next to Tohdou, they opened up their cockpits as they were able to reunited with their lost commander of the JLF. For the Magic Knights, they all landed in front of Zero's Burai while staying on guard for any other threats up ahead.

"Welcome back, Colonel Tohdou!" The Four Holy Swords said in unison.

"Thank you, everyone!" Tohdou acknowledged. "You all worked very hard for my sake."

"It was nothing, Mr. Tohdou!" Fuu responded in a calm voice. "We Magic Knights also fight for Japan, the same way we fight for Cephiro!"

"And I take it that you must be Fuu and Umi, Hikaru's friends and comrades!" Tohdou said, announcing the Magic Knight's presence.

"You bet, sir!" Umi cheered in full confidence. "In fact, we also have a few more surprises up our sleeves to show those filthy Britannians!"

"I see!" Tohdou replied as he went inside his customized Gekka. "Well Magic Knights, it's time to finish those Britannian scumbags off. Cooperate with Zero everyone! Eliminate the remaining targets!"

"Roger that!" The Magic Knights, Geo, and the Four Holy Swords acknowledged in unison.

However, before any of the Knightmares, Rune Gods, or the GTO are able to make any more moves against the Britannians in the Prison area, a stray Slash Harken shot out towards them from a distance away. Upon reaction, Hikaru, while inside Rayearth, drew out her sword and whacked the Harken away from her before holding onto her blade with both of her hands. At the same time, Selece and Windam both drew out their Escudo swords as they prepare to engage their enemy up front. As Hikaru surveyed the area again, she spots the Lancelot heading towards her and the group.

"Zero, it's the Lancelot; the white Knightmare from Cephiro, Narita, and from the docks!" Hikaru announced from inside her Rune God.

"What the hell is he doing here?!" Kallen muttered sternly.

"So convenient!" Zero smirked.

"Zero, did you get the data files that I recorded from the Lancelot a few weeks ago?!" Geo asked from inside his GTO.

"I certainly did, Commander!" Zero replied in a cackling tone. "Magic Knights! Geo Metro! I've got a plan to defeat the Lancelot right here and now! But I need all of your full cooperation first!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Art Museum, Euphy is being put in charge of nominating which art portrait will be 1st place. In her mind, however, Euphy couldn't decided which art to choose right now because she can't stop thinking about who will be her personal Knight. Before Euphy could make her decision, she heard loud beeping coming from the audience behind her. As one of the attendees took out his cell phone before responding to his call, several of the other attendees did the same as well. When Euphy and Darlton turned around to face the crowd, one of Darlton's officers came up to him and made a whisper, telling the General that Tohdou escaped from prison.

As the fight continued between the Rune Gods and the Lancelot, the white Knightmare fired several burst-firings from his Varis at Rayearth while moving backwards, only for for the Red Rune God to evade it while in mid-air. In retaliation, Hikaru swung her sword at the Lancelot, launching another torrent of white flames at it. In less than a second, the Lancelot veered both left and right, evading Hikaru's ranged powered attacks coming from her broadsword. When the Lancelot steered to the left, he was met with Selece attempting perform multiple jabs at the white Knightmare with Umi's Escudo rapier. Just like that, the Lancelot blocked Umi's sword with its energy shield coming from its left wrist in quick succession. As soon as the Lancelot fired the Varis at Umi, the Magic Knight of Water jumped up high, evading the green projectile and leaped over him before landing a couple of feet apart from his right.

From one of towers above, Lloyd and Cecil were both observing the fight between the Lancelot and the Magic Knights from a large glass panel, much to Lloyd's interest. As Lloyd looked through his binoculars, the Earl of Pudding couldn't help but seeing the Magic Knights fight valiantly against Suzaku without holding back.

"Oh my! So those must be the Magic Knight's Knightmares that tore through Britannia's ranks in the New World," Lloyd spouting in amusement. "I hope I can find out who they really are in person and to see if I can make a full examination over one of their strange machines!"

"That is, if we can take at least one of them as our prisoner!" Cecil suggested to the Earl. "I do wonder if they have any connection to Area 11?"

"Well my dear, from what I witnessed from their broadcasted fight in the New World, I bet they're just as deadly as the Lancelot in a one many ways and just as dangerous as the Black Knights from Area 11!" Lloyd snickered. "If they are, then this could be very interesting!"

"It's bad enough that you spend our entire budget in maintaining the Lancelot," Cecil said in dismay. "We may need to pay extra if we had to gather information from the Magic Knights' Knightmares too. Even if we bring them in, we still need to be very careful in dealing with those strange warriors. They might come with more unexpected surprises."

Back at the Art Museum, a TV screen above the audience turns on, revealing the Lancelot engaging the Magic Knights and the GTO on his own. For Euphy, she was able to look very carefully at the scene from where she was standing. As she noticed that Hikaru and Rayearth are seen fighting against Suzaku and the Lancelot, Euphy felt a bit anxious that Suzaku is fighting against his own fellow Elevens. At the same time, the Britannians were cheering for the Lancelot, thinking that he can take on those terrorists for good.

Upon learning about Suzaku engaging the escaped convict and the terrorist, Darlton activates his comm-link and makes contact with his men at base.

"Send in everything we've got and back up Kururugi in wiping out the terrorists and the Magic Knights!" Darlton ordered.

* * *

Using the data that Zero got from Geo weeks earlier, he was able to observe the Lancelot's moves on his laptop back at his dorm in the Ashford Academy. In the present, Zero quickly carries out the orders to the Magic Knights and Geo while the Four Holy Swords and Tohdou stood by, making sure that the Lancelot doesn't escape the battlefield.

"ALL UNITS GIVE HIM DISTANCE!"

Upon hearing Zero's first order, Hikaru, Umi and Fuu flew up into the air and jumped backwards away from the charging Lancelot.

"The Lancelot's movements is carried out in predictable patterns!" Zero added in. "It always move in a straight line, never holds back or feints!"

As the Lancelot was getting chased by the GTO, he pursed Selece, while ignoring the GTO's cannon fire. Before Lancelot attempted to swing its MVS at the Blue Rune God, Umi jumped up high again while spreading its dragon wings before doing a pinwheel flip in mid-air and landed several meters behind the white Knightmare. Ignoring Umi's evasion, the Lancelot skidded to a halt with its left leg up front. In an instant, the Lancelot jumped forward only to spot Fuu appear from around the corner with her two-handed sword held upside down by its long grip.

"I got you in my sights, Mr. Lancelot!" Fuu smirked.

Before the Lancelot could aim and fire its Varis at Windam, Fuu whacked the rifle away from the Lancelot's grip with her sword, sending it flying away into the night sky.

"Emerald Typhoon!" Fuu hollered as she aimed her magic at the Lancelot.

As the gust of wind magic fired from Fuu's gauntlet and headed towards the Lancelot, it jumped up 55 feet in the air and evaded Fuu's magic by a foot before landing backwards again. Just as the Lancelot landed backwards behind a corner, Hikaru appeared from behind and raised her sword up high, attempting to hack the white Knightmare down to its knees.

"Now I've got you!" Hikaru hissed as she struck at the Lancelot's rear. "DIE!"

The moment Hikaru used both of her hands to make a clean chop of her sword, the Lancelot moved to its right, dodging her blade by mere inches. However, Hikaru wasn't done yet. She also swung her broadsword at the Lancelot's head only for him to dodge it and made a clean cut over the top of the humpback cockpit. Inside the Lancelot's cockpit, Suzaku was able to dodge the huge blade while struggling to maintain control of his Knightmare by mere inches above his head.

"What kind of move is this?!" Suzaku muttered.

As soon as Hikaru sliced the top of the cockpit off the Lancelot, freeing her sword from its pressure over the Tungsten metal, the top of the compartment landed on the ground, a couple of feet behind the Lancelot. But before Hikaru could attack anymore, she spotted something inside the Lancelot's cockpit that she was wasn't expecting at all. Her eyes widened with shock and confusion for she spotted someone very familiar from her past childhood. At the same time, Umi, Fuu, Kallen, Tohdou, and Zero were all shocked at seeing a familiar face from their interfaces inside their cockpits of their Knightmares and their Rune Gods.

"SUZAKU KURURUGI?!" Everyone gasped in unison.

"T-That can't be right!" Zero gasped to himself. "Y-You were supposed to be by Nunnally's side!"

"Zero, what do we do?! What are our orders now? Capture him or what?" Kallen said while freaking out from inside her Guren. "Say something, anything!"

"After all this time, it was him?!" Hikaru muttered in horror after taking a good look at Suzaku and the Lancelot.

"I don't believe this! It was Mr. Suzaku all along?!" Fuu gasped in shock.

"I-I don't understand! First he was serving the Empire as an honorary Britannian and now this?" Umi shrieked. "Where is this world coming too?"

Back at the Art Museum, the audience started murmuring after learning that Suzaku was piloting the Lancelot after seeing it all on the TV monitor, much to Darlton's dismay.

"Everyone, that's enough! Turn off that monitor!" Darlton ordered angrily.

"No! Please!" Euphy shouted in a protesting tone. "I want to watch it all the way to the end!"

After checking his cockpit, Suzaku is able to still pilot the Lancelot as he continue his fight against the Magic Knights. However, before Suzaku was able to make any more moves against them, the Black Gekka intercepted the Lancelot up front before its cockpit opened up, revealing Lt. Tohdou.

"Do not do this Suzaku!" Tohdou snarled. "Think about your former country!"

"Colonel Tohdou?!" Suzaku gasped as he recognized his former sensei. "I see now! You wanted to follow your own principles than rather submit to the Holy Britannian Empire?!"

"There is no greater dishonor than abandoning your own beliefs over the country that you once originated from!" Tohdou smirked. "If you really think choosing Britannia over us is going to help you find a better future, you're likely going to face worse consequences from your fellow citizens as well. They'll likely make you pay the price for your betrayal. Isn't that right, Lady Hikaru?!"

"What? Hikaru is here?!" Suzaku gasped, realizing that his long-time friend and rival is lurking in the shadows. "Where is she?"

"I'M OVER HERE!" Hikaru roared as she and Rayearth jumped forward in-between the Lancelot and Tohdou's Gekka.

As soon as the Suzaku's Lancelot and Tohdou's Gekka disengaged their interception, Rayearth landed in the middle of the two Knightmares on both of his feet, slamming Hikaru's sword on the ground. Just when Rayearth turned to face the Lancelot head on, his Red Orb lit up and revealed Hikaru Shidou dressed in Red Magic Knight Armor, much to Suzaku's shock.

"I don't believe it. So back in the New World of Cephiro, Narita, and at the docks, it was you the entire time, wasn't it?! You were one of the Magic Knights fighting against the Britannian Empire, weren't you?!" Suzaku sneered at Hikaru. "It's no wonder why you don't fear Britannia like the other Elevens do, excluding myself."

"Do you really think you can get your wish when siding with the Britannians at a time like this?!" Hikaru growled as she struck at the Lancelot with her sword, only to get blocked by the Lancelot's MVS. "You're even more cowardly than ever before, especially all those duels that you and I had back in our Kendo schools. Have you no pride as a true Japanese citizen, resisting against the tyranny of the Britannian Empire?!"

"It's hopeless to deny everything in the Britannian Society." Suzaku protested further while struggling against Rayearth's advances. "I had my own reasons in giving them my trust, the moment I joined the Britannian Military. It is one of my steps to help change the world from the inside."

"FOUL CHOICE FOR ONE CITIZEN OF THOU COUNTRY TO YIELD TO SUCH ERRONEOUS ALLEGIANCES!" Rayearth bellowed in anger. "ONE WHO BELIEVES IN THINE OPPOSITE OF THINE OTHERS FROM THINE COUNTRY IS THOU TO BE A DAMNED LOST SOUL FOREVER, AT THE COST OF EVERYTHING THAT THOU COUNTRY ONCE POSSESSED!"

"Who said that?!" Suzaku muttered in confusion.

"That would be the sub-consciousness of my Rune God Knightmare!" Hikaru snarled as the light from the Red Orb faded away, sealing Hikaru back into Rayearth before preparing to fight Suzaku. "If you really think that your betrayal over us Elevens, including myself, is what will keep you going, as well as sacrificing your devoted nationality, then you're likely going to become an enemy of Japan as well. Therefore, you are my enemy as well. So don't hold back! Strike me with everything you've got; face me Suzaku Kururugi!"

Upon hearing what Hikaru and Rayearth both said to him, Suzaku gritted his teeth in anger before preparing to face the full wrath of both Magic Knight and Rune God all at once. As Suzaku steered backwards from Rayearth, he activated the Lancelot's energy shields before getting ready to strike back with his MVS.

"I, Hikaru Shidou, Magic Knight of Cephiro, will fight you with every last breath in my body!" The Fire Knight said, challenging Suzaku and the Lancelot on a one-on-one fight.

As Hikaru's sword powered up, she struck first at the Lancelot, only to be parried by the Lancelot's MVS. In response to a counter-attack, the Lancelot retaliated fiercely with his MVS as it struck at Rayearth's sword and shield, leaving behind loud "Bangs" and "Clanging" noises every second. While exchanging sword blows, Rayearth landed heavy Kendo attacks with Hikaru's broadsword as it was met with the Lancelot's MVS strikes. While the fight between Rayearth and the Lancelot becomes intense every second, Zero wasn't able to come up with any more orders in dealing with the white Knightmare.

"HIKARU, STOP!" Kallen protested against the Knight of Fire. "Wait for Zero's orders!"

"We're not waiting, Ms. Kallen!" Fuu denied in anger. "If Mr. Suzaku really is against us, then he'll have to face to consequences for betraying our former country all together."

"Fuu's right, Kallen!" Umi hissed. "Geo, let's get him!"

As Selece, Windam, and the GTO charged forward in taking Suzaku and the Lancelot down, while being distracted in fighting against Rayearth, Zero frantically started shouted at them from his Burai.

"NO! EVERYONE STAND DOWN!"

"Don't worry Zero, we'll finish him off all at once!" Geo smirked as he aimed his cannon at the White Knightmare.

Back in the Prison Tower that Lloyd and Cecil are in, the Earl of Pudding activated his com-link and gave Suzaku another order for his Lancelot.

"Suzaku! Release the Harken Booster quickly! The password is my favorite food!"

Upon hearing Lloyd's orders, Suzaku used his right hand to type in the keywords on the key-pad. In an instant, the Lancelot shot out all four Slash Harkens simultaneously. Before any of the Magic Knights or Geo could see what was happening, the Lancelot's Harkens knocked all of their swords off their hands instantly. For the GTO, however, the fourth Slash Harken struck the Mecha's shoulder cannon by the side, making it explode as the green robot's main weapon came off its should and hit the ground, completely damaged.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" The Magic Knights and Geo shrieked in unison, realizing that the Lancelot, disarmed all of their main weapons all at once.

As the Lancelot retracted its Slash Harkens back to its wrists and hips, it hurled his MVS at Rayearth. Upon seeing the MVS heading straight at her, Hikaru reacted by deflecting the oncoming blade with her red shield. However, before Hikaru could hurl her "Flame Arrow" at the Lancelot, Zero finally shouted out his orders to the entire group.

"EVERYONE! STOP! We've done enough fighting for now! We already achieved our objective here. Now use escape route 3! WITHDRAW IMMEDIATELY!"

Before Hikaru or the Magic Knights could say anymore, Hikaru and Tohdou turned around and spotted a fleet of Knightmare VTOLs carrying Britannian Sutherlands heading straight for them.

"We'll settle our fight later, Suzaku Kururugi! But for now, we'll call it a night!" Hikaru said to herself as the Gekkas deployed Chaffsmoke.

"Hikaru! Wait!" Suzaku protested as he attempted to pursue the Magic Knights.

"FLAME ARROW!" Hikaru shouted as she aimed her magic at the Lancelot's right landspinner, making it temporary immobile as it spun to the right.

As the Chaffsmoke flooded the entire prison area, the Gekkas, Guren MK II, Rayearth, Selece, Windam, and the GTO all disappeared into the smokescreen, making their escape flawless and in one piece.

* * *

After seeing the end of the battle between the Lancelot and the terrorists, the audience as clamoring in disappointment that Suzaku wasn't able to finish off any off them. However, for Euphy, she congratulated Suzaku for standing his ground against Lady Hikaru in Knightmare combat. Feeling bad that Suzaku still wasn't getting the respect he deserved as an Honorary Britannian, Euphy finally decided to make her choice on who will be her personal Knight.

"All of you, I will announce the question that you have asked me earlier!" Euphy announced to the public as they turned around to face the princess. "The Knight that I have chosen to serve under me will be the young man that you have seen before you."

As Euphy raised her hand towards that TV Monitor, she choose Suzaku Kururugi to be her personal Knight.

"Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi!"

"H-Hikaru! I am your enemy now!" Suzaku thought to himself as he stood up from the Lancelot's cockpit.

As soon as the Magic Knights and their allies reached the trailers, Hikaru comes out of her Rune God only to hear the hysterical laughing coming from Zero, who is still inside his Burai. The moment Ohgi appeared before Hikaru, she was feeling shaken that her greatest rival ended up becoming her greatest enemy in all of Area 11.

"Hikaru, are you okay?!" Ohgi asked, concerning over the Knight of Fire.

"I don't know. I mean, I actually met someone at the prison area that I did not expect!" Hikaru said while trembling in fear.

Before Ohgi could say anything, he and Hikaru started hearing Zero's cackling while holding onto both of the levers inside his cockpit. At the same time, C.C appeared above the Burai with an emotionless expression on her face.


	16. Suzaku Cornered but unfaltered

A few days later after Tohdou's rescue, Hikaru makes her announcement to her friends in the NSX's mess hall while going over what happened recently. Feeling grim about her unexpected encounter with Suzaku Kururugi and the Lancelot, Hikaru took a deep breath before explaining on the situation at hand.

"So Hikaru, what happened during that night when you went in to rescue one of your fellow countrymen turned militia warriors?" Clef asked as he stood up beside the Fire Knight.

"I actually ran into someone that I didn't think I would see again other than from the Ashford Academy!" Hikaru said, nervously. "The one who was commandeering the Lancelot back in Cephiro turned out to be none other than Suzaku Kururugi. He was actually an Eleven too."

Upon hearing what Hikaru just said, everyone but Umi, Fuu, and Geo all gasped in shock thinking that one of Hikaru's fellow Elevens is actually a traitor to their former country.

"Wait a minute there!" Aska asked immediately. "What do you know about this Suzaku Kururugi?! I mean, what kind of Eleven would turn his back on his own country and serve the enemy at a time like this?! We didn't think that the Lancelot would actually belonged to a young man like him, we were expecting more!"

"He was my one-time rival during my days in the Kendo school, but now that he saw me, he's a full-time nemesis doing Britannia's dirty work!" Hikaru answered Aska's question. "At first, he served in the Empire's army as an Honorary Britannian. It's where non-Britannian members pledged their loyalty to the Holy Britannian Empire in the areas that the Empire has already conquered; as long as they're at it, they gain their Britannian citizenship, earn special privileges, and earn other rights."

"If that's true, why do you think that boy would do such a thing?!" Geo asked sternly. "We might need to put that kid down before he gets worse!"

"That will be up for Zero to decide!" Hikaru replied. "We might as well keep a close eye on him from afar. There's no telling what Suzaku is going to do next, regarding the orders he would receive from his Britannian superiors."

"Speaking of which, I heard that Ms. Euphemia has elected Mr. Suzaku to be her knight!" Fuu announced towards the group.

"If Suzaku really is a Knight of Britannia despite his nationality, then I'm afraid his fight against us will be just the beginning!" Umi said grimly. "We have all came a very long way to become Magic Knights of Cephiro just to unify all four countries outside of Area 11."

"Other than that Geo, Suzaku did say that he wanted to change our world from the inside!" Hikaru added in. "I never thought that him being Euphy's Knight is actually part of this path."

"If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that he would go down a different path towards a different knighthood apart from you three," Lafarga assumed, referring to Suzaku.

"Let me ask you something, Hikaru..." Clef said to the Magic Knight of Fire. "Did this Suzaku have any disdains as an Honorary Britannian?"

"Well, not every Britannian is taking Suzaku's path very seriously. They still despised him as much as the rest of us Elevens do!" Hikaru replied to the Master Mage.

Before Hikaru or any of her friends could say anymore, a loud beeping came from the broadcast monitor near the commander's seat. Shortly after Cephiro's allies arrived in Area 11, Zazu immediately setup a private broadcasting channel onboard the NSX, with Kirihara's help, to keep themselves informed of the upcoming events from the Holy Britannian Empire. As of right now, Zazu makes his announcement after checking the monitor.

"Guys, we're receiving our latest broadcast coming from the Britannian Government Bureau!"

As the Magic Knights, Cephiro's warriors, and their allies came up to the monitor, they see a huge room filled with nobles and aristocrats dressed in regal Britannian outfits and accessories. In between the two audiences of Britannian Noblemen and women, a long carpet with yellow and white lines stretched out from the entrance to all the way to Euphy's throne up a few stairs. At Euphy's throne, she is sitting down on her regal seat. In her surroundings, the Britannian Flag is hanging behind her and two plant vases are placed on her left and right near the small stairway. For the interior walls, they were decorated with white pillars and brown walls with small white streams following upward.

* * *

 _As several Britannian nobles were muttering to themselves about such an unusual knighting ceremony from an Honorary Britannian Eleven, Suzaku walks up to Euphy in a calm state. This time, Suzaku is wearing a white Britannian Knight outfit with small golden epaulets. On his left side up to his waist, Suzaku was carrying a long rapier holstered in its sheath. The moment Suzaku approached Euphy, she makes her statement as the Honorary Britannian presents the 3rd Princess his sword up front. As the Magic Knights and their friends watched closely at Suzaku's knighting from their monitor, they all felt a bit anxious of the twisted turn of events that'll affect all of Area 11._

 _"Suzaku Kururugi! Will you vow upon this day pledge thy fealty to Britannia and stand as a knight of the crown?"_

 _"Yes, your highness!" Suzaku acknowledged as he kneeled his right foot forward with his left hand behind his back, yielding to his knighting brought by Euphemia li Britannia._

 _"Does thou wish to abandon thy self and bestow sword and shield for the greater good?!" Euphy continued with Suzaku's knighting vows._

 _"Yes, your highness!"_

 _As Suzaku drew out his sword from his scabbard, he raised the sword's grip and offered it up to Euphemia before she approached her would-be knight. The moment Euphy took Suzaku's sword and raised it with the tip of the blade pointing up to the ceiling, holding it with both of her hands, she dubs thee the Honorary Britannian as he bows his head before the 3rd Princess of Britannia._

 _"I, Euphemia Li Britannia, due hereby dub thee Sir Suzaku Kururugi..."_

* * *

While the Magic Knights continued to watch Suzaku's knighting ceremony from the NSX unnoticed, Lantis couldn't help but feel a bit worried of what will happen in the next fight between Suzaku and Hikaru. As the Magic Swordsman turned to face the Knight of Fire, Lantis noticed that Hikaru is trembling in anxiety. So without hesitation, Lantis walks up to Hikaru and placed his hand on her shoulders.

"Lantis?" Hikaru asked her boyfriend, as she felt his bare hand on her shoulder.

"You've still got nothing to worry about, Hikaru," Lantis told the red-haired knight with sympathy. "I'm sure Suzaku had his reasons for accepting all of this!"

"Well, I don't know if we're ever going to get through to Suzaku anymore!" Hikaru said, doubting over where Suzaku's true loyalties really lie. "He's likely going to be fighting us as much as he'll be fighting against the Black Knights and Cephiro's Alliance!"

"Maybe ya should still talk to him at school, sugar," Caldina suggested towards Hikaru, followed by a cheerful smile on her face. "He was yer friend during yer childhood days, ah?!"

"I still have yet to identify his true motives in the Britannian Empire, Hikaru!" Clef thought. "From what Caldina said, you and the other Magic Knights may need to settle in some negotiations with that Eleven turned knight."

After hearing what Clef told her, Hikaru and the rest of the crowd continued to watch Suzaku's knighting on broadcast.

* * *

After Euphy finished her vows when knighting Suzaku Kururugi, she reached both of her hands towards the Honorary Britannian. In response, Suzaku raised his hands up to take his sword back into his scabbard. Euphy stretched out her right arm towards her right side as Suzaku stood up on both of his feet before he turned around to face the audience. After a few minutes of giving Suzaku all sorts of stern looks, Lloyd, who is now dressed in a olive green Britannian Noble outfit, started clapping first before the rest of the crowd started clapping too, congratulating the Honorary Britannian for his official promotion in the Empire. At the same time, Suzaku is also promoted to Major amongst the army of the Holy Britannian Empire, much to the Magic Knights' and the Black Knights' dismay.

As soon as they're done watching the broadcast from the NSX, the Magic Knights all looked at each other nervously before they could say anymore.

"Even if we could, the Black Knights might try something that's totally rash first," Umi warned Clef. "They might even try to capture or kill him on sight! They probably haven't seen the fact that killing people doesn't always solve anything. We all learned this the hard way when facing Zagato and Princess Emeraude."

"Ms. Umi's right. Since the Black Knights are one of the few resistance members ever to wage wars against the Britannian Empire, it might cause a problem to send in an assassin to take care of Mr. Suzaku before we even had the chance to deal with him peacefully," Fuu added in.

"I'll accompany you all to your school to see if we can offer peaceful negotiations with Sir Kururugi, then," Clef suggested to the Magic Knights.

"Speaking of school, we all need to catch up on a lot of stuff at the Ashford Academy," Hikaru said in embarrassment. "Not too mention that President Ashford will be hosting a party for Suzaku's Knighthood there."

"Let's go guys, we haven't got all day!" Umi told her friends before they all left the NSX.

* * *

Meanwhile in Euphy's room, she sat down near her desk before making contact with Cornelia on the screen from her laptop. After going over what Euphy went through recently, Cornelia was not impressed the way her sister appointed Suzaku Kururugi as her personal knight. However, Euphy refuses to believe that Suzaku can't go far than being an Honorary Britannian.

"Even though appointing a knight by the order of Royalty, it is out my hands to do it on a Honorary Britannian!"

"But sister, Suzaku Kururugi is an Honorary Britannian that has already proved his worth more than he already has on the battlefield in his knighthood!" Euphy said, protesting against Cornelia's statement. "Viceroy, even you must understand! I believed in Suzaku more than I believed in just Britannia."

"Well, discrimination against the numbers is part of our national policy!" Cornelia retorted.

"So, it will be the time for me to change that!" Euphy said in defense.

"Maybe when you're Empress of Britannia, feel free to do so!" The Viceroy snorted, offensively.

After Cornelia's conversation with Euphy, the screen turned black as the sub-viceroy turned it off out of dismay with her elder sister. As Euphy stood up out of her seat, she turned around to look outside from the tall window while thinking to herself about her and Suzaku's confrontation with Hikaru Shidou on the battlefield, especially after what the Magic Knight of Fire said to her.

 _"Your people have killed thousands of Japanese! And Cornelia made all of this happen! Why do you even care about what is happening right now between Cephiro and Britannia? This is a war!"_

As Euphy took a deep breath, she was hoping that she might find the best time to talk to Hikaru in order to have the Magic Knight come to her senses. When the doors opened behind Euphy, she sees Mr. Shidou, now dressed in a butler's outfit bring in a tray with a plate of small sandwiches, 2 containers of cream and sugar, a teapot, and two tea cups. Before Euphy could say anything, Mr. Shidou puts the tray on top of Euphy's desk. But before Mr. Shidou could leave the room, Euphy came up to him.

"Mr. Shidou wait!" Euphy ordered the butler softly. "There is something I wanted to tell you."

"What do you what, Princess?!" Mr. Shidou grunted in a offended tone. "First, your brothers and sisters were treating me and my wife like dirt when scrubbing their floors and their dishes and now you what to have a word with me like I'm in trouble? I have nothing to say anymore!"

"It's about your daughter, Hikaru!" Euphy continued, making Mr. Shidou snap as he came up to the Princess, while glaring at her with hate.

"What about it?!" Mr. Shidou said, feeling offended. "We had a deal that you'd let our daughter go in exchange for our services. Yet, you dare speak about the suffering that my daughter is going through?! I don't care if you're a Britannian Princess or not. If I were to have the strength to fight back and escape this place, me and my wife will have you held as hostage immediately!"

"It's not what you think, I actually met Hikaru on the battlefield and she was able to make a stand with another group of allied forces, fighting by her side!" Euphy said, making Mr. Shidou's eyes widened with shock and disbelief.

"Our daughter became a resistance fighter going against Britannia?!" Mr. Shidou gasped, feeling a bit relieved. "She's one of the Black Knights too, isn't she?!"

"Actually, it's even more stranger but even more deadlier!" Euphy clarified. "Do you remember about those strange warriors and their strange Knightmares seen in the New World on TV a couple of weeks ago?"

"Yes, I have," Mr. Shidou remembered, giving him a sudden revelation on what Euphy is elaborating about. "Wait, you don't mean that our daugther was..."

"She's actually one of the strange warriors fighting against the Britannian forces in the New World," Euphy said, answering Mr. Shidou's would-be question.

"Wow, I don't believe it!" Mr. Shidou smiled to himself as Ms. Shidou, who is now dressed in a ragged maid's outfit appeared in Euphy's room.

"Believe what, dearie?!" Mrs. Shidou asked her husband.

"Our daughter is actually one of the warriors in the New World fighting for both of us!" Mr. Shidou told his wife, as they both let out tears of happiness come out of their eyes.

"My dear sweet Hikaru!" Mrs. Shidou sobbed happily as she embraced her husband. "I'm so glad she's doing okay!"

"Fret not guys, I might have a plan for you both to see your sons and daughter again," Euphy smiled.

"What makes you think you can let us see our children again, after being enslaved for seven long years?" Mrs. Shidou asked as she wiped her tears from her eyes after her embrace with her husband.

"You just have to trust me, just this once!" Euphy added in before she started muttering something towards them in silence. "And please don't tell anyone about this!"

* * *

Back at the Ashford Academy, after hearing about Suzaku's knighting, the Student Council decided to host a grand celebration in the main dinning room for Suzaku Kururugi as they brought out a dozen boxes of pizza and orange soda on the tables.

"Okay guys!" Rivalz announced to the students of the Academy while holding a bottle of orange soda in his right hand. "Time to raise a glass hand to Suzaku Kururugi; valued Student Council and Knight of the Realm. Let's get this party started!"

As Rivalz poured the liquid into Suzaku's glass cup, the other students started cheering while trading conversations to each other all over the hall, congratulating Suzaku for his generous promotion by Euphemia li Britannia. For Nunnally, she planned the celebration for the Honorary Britannian, showing her kindness towards Suzaku. After Suzaku took a sip of soda from his cup, he heard a "Psst" coming from the entrance to another room, adjacent from the main hall. As Suzaku turned around, his eyes widened after seeing Hikaru peeking from the entrance to the other room. Just after he faced Hikaru in battle more than once, Suzaku started sweating underneath his breath, feeling nervous on what the Knight of Fire is going to do next as his enemy.

"Suzaku, over here!" Hikaru whispered as she disappeared from the doorway.

"Would you guys excuse me for a moment?" Suzaku told the Student Council and the party guests as he put his glass down on the table.

When he entered the room that Hikaru was in, Umi and Fuu appeared behind Suzaku as they both slowly closed the doors, not wanting to cause any suspicion around the school. As he looked around, Suzaku notices that a short man is standing right next to Hikaru dressed in a ragged cloak, hiding himself from plain sight. In front of him, two chairs are being stationed apart from a wide wooden table. The Knight of Britannia didn't understood what was going on, until Hikaru gave him a seat for him to sit down across the table from where the cloaked man is at. The moment Suzaku sat down on his seat, Umi and Fuu walked up to both of his sides, making sure that he doesn't try anything stupid in the room that they're all in.

"I know we may be enemies fighting each other for separate countries that are not of our own. However, just be grateful that we won't take our fight anywhere in this school, since it's obviously against the rules of the Campus' policy." Hikaru announced in a grim tone. "We just want to negotiate on peaceful terms before we continue with this senseless battle that Britannia has caused upon the New World."

"If you're asking for my allegiance, I'm not taking it for granted. Besides, my life as an Honorary Britannian is the only thing that kept me going after all those years of military service all the way to this very day," Suzaku said, giving Hikaru a stern look on his face before turning his face towards the cloaked man. "Anyway, who is that short man with you?"

"I am Master Mage Clef of Cephiro!" The Cloaked man said as he took off his hood, revealing himself to Suzaku up front next to Hikaru.

"Clef?!" Suzaku gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"I want to settle this peacefully without you resorting to anymore bloodshed upon my people in Cephiro!" The Master Mage continued. "I thought for sure that most of the Elevens were fighting against Britannia for the sake of their former homeland and for their freedom as well as protecting our homeland in the New World, just like Hikaru, Umi, Fuu and the Black Knights did. But when we found out that you were posing all of those threats in Cephiro and in Area 11 even as an Eleven and not a Britannian, you were making a bad example in front of your own people. So, may I ask why are you doing this to your fellow Elevens?!"

"I wanted to change the world from the inside!" Suzaku answered Clef's question. "I already made sins that went rather unpunished! Speaking of which, are Umi and Fuu..."

"Yes, they happened to be the Magic Knights of Water and Wind fighting for the New World, alongside Hikaru!" Clef said, summarizing on what the Magic Knight trio went through.

"I don't believe it, it was you three the entire time?!" Suzaku gasped as he face Umi and Fuu who are still standing next to both his right and his left.

"You heard what Mr. Clef said, Mr. Suzaku!" Fuu glared. "We all fight for what we believe in and we all became Magic Knights to protect everyone that we love deeply in our hearts. And it was our will that allow us to gain the honors that we all deserve from the people of Cephiro and to make things right for them."

"Yeah! You, however, just had to enter our beloved realm and displayed the complete opposite out of the lot of us. I mean just what are you trying to prove pulling all of those crazy Lancelot stunts like that?!" Umi glared as she scolded the Honorary Britannian. "Think, if you act like a freaking idiot, we're the ones who are going to hear about it. You weren't just a disgrace to us Elevens, you are a disgrace to your own family as well. I mean, if your father ever found out what you have become right now when was still alive, he might kill himself all over again!"

"The fact is guys, my father never committed suicide seven years ago!" Suzaku announced calmly. "I actually killed him!"

"What?!" Clef and the Magic Knights all gasped in unison.

"You heard me. I stabbed him in the heart with a knife back then!" Suzaku continued. "However, I never got blamed for it. It's as if nothing really happened!"

"So just like that, you let Britannia waltz right into Japan as their doorway unchallenged, turning our world into a living hell?!" Hikaru gasped in horror. "How could you?!"

"It was an accident, I swear!" Suzaku responded immediately in a panic tone of voice. "Anyway, enough of all that! What do you guys want with me?!"

"If you were to be a true Knight fighting for a country that isn't your own, just what are you trying to protect right now?" Clef glared at the Honorary Britannian. "If you stop this foolishness in Area 11, we won't pursue you on the battlefield any further."

"That will be a little hard to accomplish, Clef!" Suzaku said sternly. "I joined the Britannian Military to stop people from dying, I have no other way of satisfying my life other than this."

"Well, how do you explain your actions when you let Prince Clovis and Viletta get away from our grip back after for what they did in Cephiro twice?" Hikaru asked in anger.

"It was just the way things are. We follow orders just to display our loyalty towards the Empire than rather break the rules just for personal interests!" Suzaku snapped.

"Well, what do you know about the Imperial Family of the Britannian Empire?" Clef added in. "The Magic Knights already told us the whole story starting from seven years ago, the moment they arrived when Britannian began their invasion upon our land. Some things just cannot be ignored out there. It's not too late to stop what you're doing, Suzaku Kururugi. Besides, we Cephirians know that the Magic Knights needed help in fighting against Britannia to free their loved ones from the Empire's enslavement."

"Why did you and your natives came here? So, that you could take your war to Area 11?" Suzaku asked, feeling infuriated.

"When Britannia attacked our Cephirian villages, they also captured several hundreds of our people and imprisoned them near their Government Bureau. If you tell us the location on where they're being held up, we may order the Black Knights to stop their intention of coming after you." Clef said as he offered his terms to the Honorary Britannian. "Also, since we have Prince Clovis in our custody, you do this and we'll let him go unharmed!"

"You guys captured Prince Clovis?" Suzaku said, feeling offended by what the Master Mage just said.

"We're going to use him as our insurance if the Empire doesn't stand down from their war upon Cephiro," Clef added in. "We'll even try to capture Princess Cornelia just to get our attention as well."

"You wish. I won't hesitate to fight any of you just to protect Cornelia too." Suzaku protested fearlessly against the Magic Knights and the Master Mage. "Besides, I already gave Euphy her word. It was ever since I met her on the streets in Area 11. At first, I thought she was just some random reckless young lady that needs to be restrained. However, when she confronted the rebellious Purist members going against Jeremiah, that's when Euphy finally introduced herself as one of the Imperial Princesses of Britannia. I was grateful that Euphy let me move in to back up Viceroy Cornelia."

"Did Cornelia ever doubted you, even as an Honorary Britannian?" Hikaru asked, putting pressure on Suzaku further. "Because they said that Britannia is known to abuse their power when controlling most of the Areas around the entire world, such as instigating discrimination and physical torment. How much do you know about Princess Euphy anyway?"

"She's actually nothing like Cornelia to begin with, even as sub-viceroy of Area 11!" Suzaku said defending against the 3rd Britannian Princess. "If you guys don't believe me, why don't you go speak with her for yourself then?"

"Then, how about this?!" Clef asked, clarifying his offers towards the Honorary Britannian. "You let Princess Euphemia speak with us on a diplomatic solution to end the war between Britannia, the Black Knights, and Cephiro and free our people, and we may not have to fight anymore. How's that sound?!"

"Okay fine. But I can't keep any promises, Clef!" Suzaku acknowledged in a cautious tone. "The Britannian Army is still watching your every move and if I've been given the order to eliminate my enemies, whether it was done by Euphy or someone with a higher rank, don't expect me to show any mercy!"

Upon hearing this, Clef and Hikaru hurdled towards each other and made whisperings, in which Suzaku cannot hear. After a few minutes of discussing their options quietly, they disengaged with their private conversation before facing Suzaku again. As Hikaru took a deep breath, she makes her verdict in front of Euphy's personal knight.

"Very well, but if any of those Britannian scoundrels started attacking us first, the deal will be off!" Hikaru snorted as she reluctantly accepted Suzaku's terms.

* * *

After Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu let Suzaku leave the room, he went back to the party being held by his fellow students. However, as soon as Kallen entered the main hall and spotted Suzaku talking to a couple of students, she takes out a pink cellphone from her pocket and held it behind her back with her right hand. Unknown to most of the students and staff, Kallen's cellphone had a blade hidden in one of its edges. In her mind, Kallen insisted on assassinating Suzaku for the sake of Zero after learning that he was commandeering the Lancelot back at Narita and at the Shinjuku Getto. However, before Kallen got any closer, Hikaru stepped in and grabbed her wrist that had the blade in her hand, making the Britannian-Japanse student gasp in shock.

"Kallen, I think Shirley needs help with the pizzas!" Hikaru told the undercover Black Knight Ace.

"Sorry, Hikaru. But I was in the middle of something..." Kallen replied in a nervous tone.

"Well, maybe you could help out with the other students!" Lelouch said to Kallen as he appeared behind Hikaru.

As Suzaku turned around, he spotted Lelouch and Hikaru talking to Kallen.

"Lelouch, are you...?"

"Sorry, Suzaku I got held up!" Lelouch replied to his childhood friend.

"No problem, I'm just happy that you were able to show up." Suzaku said as he went up to the former Britannian Prince.

At the same time, Hikaru led Kallen away from the two 17-year old boys during their conversation. The moment Hikaru took Kallen outside of the main dinning room, she makes her private conversation with the Guren pilot, inside a nearby storage room.

"This may not be the best time to assassinate Suzaku, Kallen!" Hikaru said grimly. "Clef and I already had a talk with him earlier. We made a deal with him that if he brings in Euphy to us to go over a diplomatic solution to end Britannia's invasion over Cephiro, we'll call off their planned attack upon the Government Bureau later on."

"Well, what if that's not enough?" Kallen asked in denial. "Even if they gave up invading Cephiro, the Empire will still remain at large since they still have control over 1/3 of the entire world. They may not listen with your reasoning if you know what I mean."

"Since we have Clovis as our prisoner, we'll use him in exchange for the freedom of all the people that they have captured when they attacked Cephiro. As soon as Euphy shows up, I'm sure she'll definitely order her fellow Britannians to stand down and sign in a peace treaty before we let Clovis go." Hikaru said, planning her diplomatic negotiations.

"Did you really think that's going to work? What if they're planning to lead you and the Magic Knights into a trap? How would that affect Cephiro's Army Morale?" Kallen asked in a protesting tone. "Suzaku still needs to be punished for his betrayal in Area 11!"

"We still need to show our honor as knights fighting for justice because if we do in Suzaku right now, we might become just as bad as the Britannians!" Hikaru continued as she gave Kallen a stern look from her face. "It's just like when we faced the leaders of the three neighboring countries invading Cephiro three years ago. They may show their ruthlessness in battle but deep down, they all fight for the people they care about too, just like we Magic Knights do!"

"You maybe right! But I still don't know what is Suzaku really fighting for in Area 11!" Kallen said, feeling a bit defeated by Hikaru's speech. "Zero is contemplating in trying to capture Suzaku for some personal interrogation."

"Not yet! You may need to convince Zero and your fellow Black Knights to stand down. The last thing we need right now is for someone in both of our groups to violently intercept Cephiro's diplomatic mission with Princess Euphemia!" Hikaru replied in a serious tone.

"That won't be easy, but I'll see what I can do!" Kallen replied in an anxious tone of voice.

As soon as Kallen and Hikaru left the storage room, they ran into Nina and Lloyd. Before they could say anything, Lloyd gave Hikaru an arrogant look, followed by a sly smile on the Earl's face. Upon noticing the Earl's behavior, Hikaru is starting to suspect that Lloyd might be up to something.

* * *

Meanwhile at the party, Lloyd appeared at the doorway with Nina next to his right. Earlier, Nina was studying Uranium Isotopes, much to the Earl's curiosity. In Nina's mind, the shy Britannian student could not help but think about how Euphy intervened with the JLF while being held hostage from the other night, along with Shirley and Milly. After being saved by the Lancelot, Nina thought of Euphy as her Goddess for saving her from the JLF. However, Nina never had the chance to thank Euphy yet since the 3rd Princess had duties to attend to as a Royal and Sub-Viceroy of Area 11. In just a few minutes, Milly Ashford approached the Earl as she greeted Lloyd up front.

"Lloyd, I didn't think you'd show up here!" Milly said, while being surprised.

"You two know each other?" Nina asked softly.

"Milly and I were to be married!" Lloyd blurted out calmly before speaking to the School President. "Isn't that right honey bunch?!"

Upon hearing what the Earl just said, the entire crowd behind Milly gasped, while the female students started squealing with delight.

"There goes the neighborhood!" Suzaku muttered to himself as he remembered Lloyd's secret.

At the same time, Rivalz ran right up in-between Lloyd and Milly in trying to clarify on what is really going on here, starting with Milly Ashford.

"Whoa, seriously?! I'm mean who is this guy?"

"He's Earl Lloyd Asplund!" Milly replied.

"EARL? It's on honor your lordship!" Rivalz said as he bowed towards Lloyd. "And what's your relationship with him again?!"

"Milly and I are betrothed!" Lloyd answered, making Rivalz freak out.

Despite their relationship between the Earl and the School President, Suzaku changes the subject by asking Lloyd on what his next mission would be.

"So Lloyd, do I have another mission in the Military?"

"Princess Euphemia has requested to accompany you on a diplomatic mission with the Cephirian nobles at Shinkene Island!" Lloyd replied as he smiled.

"I see!" Suzaku thought to himself. "I hope Hikaru and Clef know what they're both doing!"

* * *

Meanwhile back onboard the NSX after school, the Magic Knights and Clef told the rest of Cephiro's leaders about the diplomatic mission taking place at Shinkene Island. After going over the paperwork and making their decisions, it has been decided that Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Clef, Lantis, and Prince Ferio will be reaching their destination to meet up with Euphy to have her sign in the Peace Treaty. In addition, all six people went onboard Geo's NSX v.i.a Shinkene Island. As the NSX crew plotted a course to Shinkene Island, they also brought onboard three unique customized Cephirian Knightmares, thanks to Rakshata's development research and Autozam's technology: Archwizard, The Green Ranger, and the Black Crusader!

Clef's "Archwizard" is a white mechanical wizard-like Knightmare with white Tungsten Armor Platings, a tall-pointy wizard hat, and a white cape. It is armed with a tall white staff, with a large, blue diamond encased at its front end. On the Archwizard's shoulders, they were mounted with White Epualets with blue linings. For its cape, it is embroidered with a blue Cephirian Emblem. For its face, it has a white, long beard and light-blue eyes. In the Archwizard's right side of its cockpit, it has a blue-lighting MVS holstered in its sheath.

Ferio's "Green Ranger" is a Gloucester-customized Knightmare painted in Green Tungsten Armor Platings and pauldrons, with a green and tan cloak covering up its head all the way down to its knees. Just like Ferio's sword, the Green Ranger is armed with a huge-Scimitar like blade that is glowing in a light-green hue holstered on its back, not covered up by its cloak. In addition, the Green Ranger is carrying a huge Golden Bow gun mounted in its right arm, which is loaded with anti-Knightmare explosive arrows that shoots out from the Bow's muzzle. On both of the Ranger's waists, it also armed with arrowhead-like Harkens that shoot out 150 feet followed by retractable ropes. Underneath the cloak, the Ranger's face has a green scarf covering up it mouth and it has dark-green eyes coming out from its sockets.

Lantis' "Black Crusader" happens to be a Black armored Knightmare with grey-lining pauldrons, Crusader's Helmet, and a grey cape bearing the symbol of Rayearth. It's armed with a blue lightsaber that carries a shell-like guard that is drawn out from underneath its right arm; whenever it is drawn out, it shoots out a beam that stretches 15 meters from its guard. What's more impressive is that the Black Crusader's lightsaber has the capability to fire out a powerful beam of light at its enemies. It also has a built-in lighting shield that can be activated manually from the cockpit. When the shield is activated, it discharges out an electrical grey barrier that protects Lantis' Knightmare from incoming enemy fire. On the Black Knightmare's right pauldron, it's mounted with an X-2 Ion Cannon that was developed by Rakshata when she analyzed the blueprints printed out from the NSX's Mecha Armory, along with a few special improvements.

All three of Cephirian Knightmares are developed without the Float System in which has yet to be analyzed and designed by Rakshata herself. As Geo Metro stood at the bridge of the NSX, along with the Magic Knights and the three Cephirian Leaders, the Sub-Commander couldn't help but snicker at special Knightmare designs that Rakshata made for Cephiro's best warriors. While the Magic Knights looked at the three new Knightmares from the cameras leading down to the NSX's Hangar, Rakshata came up to Hikaru before making her statements.

"So, how do you like Rakshata's new creations?!"

"They look more advanced than our Rune Gods!" Hikaru said, feeling uneasy with Rakshata's creations.

"She said that they'll have to do for now!" Geo suggested. "After all, the only way to beat your enemies is by learning on how to adapt to their combat abilities and use it against them. Rakshata also said that she still needs to work on several more Knightmare designs for Caldina, Presea, and Lafarga just to improve their survivability in Knightmare Combat."

"I hope we don't need to use them in battle yet, since we're trying to go for a Peace Treaty with Euphemia!" Ferio told the group, much to Lantis' and Clef's agreeing with the Prince's statement.

"We just need to be prepared for the worst that is yet to come!" Lantis suggested to Ferio. "It's better than relying on those old Knightmare hand-me downs at least!"

"Say, Mr. Geo!" Fuu asked the Sub-Commander while he is still watching over her crew members below him. "Have we received word that the Black Knights are standing down?"

"Well, they still have plans for Suzaku later on, Fuu!" Geo answered, followed by a grunt. "So, we might as well keep them at bay until they say otherwise."

* * *

Somewhere at Sea, a Britannian Battleship is making its way towards Shinkene Island. From inside the bridge, Suzaku, Cecil, and Lloyd are all standing up as they see the clear blue ocean. As they looked forward, Suzaku couldn't help but question on what will they achieve during their diplomatic mission with Cephiro's Leaders.

"Are you sure we'll negotiate with the Cephirians at Shinkene Island than rather at the Tokyo Settlement?!"

"I'm curious at wondering why!" Cecil spoke to Suzaku.

"You mean you don't know why either?" Suzaku asked as his eyes widened with shock.

"Well, we rather do it in a quiet area so that neither side will attract the wrong kind of attention!" Lloyd said, answering for Suzaku. "If it's true that one of your friends is actually one of those Magic Knights that rallied the forces of the New World against us, we may need to settle this in a civilized manner than rather resort to aggressive savagery!"

* * *

Meanwhile underwater below Shinkene Island, a Black Knight submarine is lurking below the ocean depths. Inside the briefing room, Zero makes his appearance in front of the Black Knights and the Four Holy Swords in a single file line before making his announcement, with C.C standing behind them.

"Princess Euphemia is going to Shinkene Island to meet with the Representatives of Cephiro, escorted by the Magic Knights! Suzaku Kururgi will be accompanying Euphy during their diplomatic mission. While they keep them distracted, we are to infiltrate the airbase on that Island and neutralize the security there without raising the alarm. As soon as we have the airbase under our control, we'll have Hikaru take Suzaku and the Lancelot into custody!"

"What happens after we got him?!" Tamaki asked Zero."

"You guys leave that to me!" Zero explained further.

Inside the Submarine's armoury, Diethard was standing on the balcony while observing Rakshata and her co-workers going over their paperwork. In just a few minutes, Zero appeared behind him as he gets straight to the point from what Kallen tried to do at school.

"Diethard, what did you talked to Kallen on doing?!"

"I told her what she needed to dig up on Kururugi!" Diethard answered calmly with a small grin on his face. "Actually, maybe I implied her to do more than that."

"Don't overdo your bounds!" Zero told the journalist sternly. "I didn't give out any order in assassinating Suzaku! Luckily, Hikaru was able to deal with her at school before it got any worse!"

"What did Hikaru do instead of going after Suzaku like last time?!" Diethard asked, feeling a bit lost over where this is heading.

"She and her allied Cephirians request Suzaku to have Princess Euphy to sign the peace treaty to end the war in the New World, in exchange they'll give Prince Clovis back." Zero explained, from what the Knight of Fire told him earlier.

"We can't have people thinking of us as cold-blooded killers, I know!" Diethard thought. "Even the Magic Knights didn't want to spill blood unjustly. However, unlike them, we can't change the world without getting our hands dirty!"

"What are you really after?! You may have been demoted, but you're still a Britannian!" Zero said, clarifying Diethard's personal background. "You don't need to join the Black Knights to change the world, do you?!"

"Ever since I saw Lady Hikaru and the Magic Knights first displayed her true power on the battlefield as they saved the Cephirians, even before facing Suzaku in battle, it felt like that a glimmer of hope has appeared before the natives of the New World. It was like that a new group of Knights arose from the depths of the underworld, and without hesitation, they all fought to drive away the evil that threatens to descend upon the natives, much to their miraculous relief and joyfulness. Even as Elevens, the Cephirians never felt discouraged by the presence of the Magic Knights from the other world; they're just as honorable as the Black Knights are! With such a sudden display of events, it has trembled before me with such thrills way beyond comprehension. Since they're facing off the Empire just like the Black Knights are, I want to see how will their combined forces topple them off from their governing. Even now, I still want to document them the same way as I wanted document on you, Zero!" Diethard said, while summarizing everything that happened on the day that the Magic Knights appeared before Viletta's forces and laid waste to them.

"Documenting both the Magic Knights and the Black Knights?" Zero pondered as he turned around, facing away from Diethard. "I'd say that you're rather in the thick of it and that you're fabricating history!"

"Objectivity is a fairy tale! In the end, journalism is a product of the human mind just like everything else!" Diethard explained further.

"You are not to interfere with military matters!" Zero ordered as he spoke behind his back at the journalist.

* * *

In a few hours later, the NSX landed 25 feet above the ocean next to the docks, across from where the Britannian Battleship is stationed at. As Euphy and Suzaku came out of the ship, they were escorted by several Britannian Naval officers and agents, along with Lloyd and Cecil. As they all approached the NSX, stopping 25 yards away from it, the NSX's side hatch opened up, revealing the Magic Knights in person, along with Ferio, Clef, and Lantis! Upon realizing that the Magic Knights are all Elevens, most of the Naval officers couldn't help but sweat underneath their breaths. However, Euphy was able to look up at them without fear or anxiety, apart from what Suzaku is feeling.

The moment the Magic Knights and the Cephirians went down the ramp from the NSX, they were met with several officers aiming their handguns at them cautiously.

"So that young man must be Suzaku Kururugi!" Lantis thought to himself, noticing the 17-year old boy wearing an orange Britannian soldier's uniform.

"Welcome to Shinkene Island, Representatives of Cephiro!" Euphy greeted in a formal manner. "I am Euphemia Li Britannia, 3rd Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire!"

"Yeah, we already met!" Hikaru grunted anxiously.

"Watch it, young lady!" The Britannian Captain growled as he aimed his handgun at the Knight of Fire. "The members of the Britannian Royal Family deserves some respect!"

"It's alright Captain!" Euphy said, trying to calm the officers down. "We just want to talk to them peacefully!"

"Euphy, this is Lantis the Magic Swordsman and Commander of Cephiro's finest guards!" Hikaru said while introducing the black-haired man clad in black armor, before introducing the Master Mage and the green-haired swordsman.

"This is Master Mage Clef and Prince Ferio of Cephiro!"

"Ferio, huh?!" Suzaku muttered to himself, before Lloyd stepped in.

"This seems quite odd for a bunch of young female Elevens to rally people from the New World to fight by their side!" The Earl grinned sheepishly. "Anyway, I'm Lloyd Asplund, head of the Special Corps. And this is Cecil Croomy, my business partner."

"It's a please to meet you all." Cecil said, introducing herself to the Magic Knights and referring to the blue-haired girl and the blond-haired girl with the glasses. "I never thought that you strange warriors are also from Area 11 too. I see that you two must be Umi Ryuuzaki and Fuu Houoji, Hikaru's friends and comrades!"

"Trust me, Ms. Cecil, we go a long way back!" Fuu replied, followed by a small smile on her face.

"Let's get straight to the point. We're here to negotiate a peace treaty with Britannia before handing Prince Clovis back!" Clef said offering the terms. "If you leave our world alone and give back our people, I promise you all that Clovis will not be harmed onboard the NSX when turning him in."

"I'm pretty sure that this is all a big misunderstanding, Master Mage Clef!" Euphy said, trying to stay calm when dealing with the Master Mage. "My brother and my sister were only just doing their duties while taking charge in the expedition in your world, just like Suzaku and Cornelia."

"Is Cornelia here with you, Princess?!" Ferio asked sternly.

"Not right now!" Euphy said, answering the Cephirian Prince's question. "She had some stuff that needs to be taken care of outside of Area 11 temporarily! As Sub-Viceroy, it is my duty to maintain law and order during the Viceroy's absence. I'm sure that if I sign in your peace treaty, she won't lay a hand on any of your fellow Cephirians."

"Why didn't you step in and talked Clovis out of this?" Lantis asked the 3rd Princess of Britannia sternly.

"I didn't have enough responsibility to handle the same leadership that Clovis and Cornelia do!" Euphy said, feeling ashamed of herself. "But not that it matters, I'll make it up to all of you by all means.

"Since Cornelia isn't here right now, are you sure you can handle this on your own?" Hikaru asked, glaring at Euphy cautiously.

"Trust me, Hikaru!" Suzaku suggested to the Knight of Fire in a serious tone. "She can be reckless with her determination, just like you are!"

"Lantis, if you please?" Ferio asked the Magic Swordsman as he snapped his fingers. Not a moment too soon, Lantis brought out a scroll from underneath his grey cape and handed it over to the Prince. Just as Ferio took the scroll, he started reading it as he stretched it vertically with his left hand holding it from the top and his right hand holding it from the bottom.

"To any Royal Members of the Holy Britannian Empire, Cephiro has requested them to beg forgiveness to every citizen in their country that has suffered from genocide, kidnapping, looting, and enslavement. If you accept our terms, we also requested to release all the Cephirians that have been captured during the attacks upon every village in Cephiro, ensuring that no Britannian will ever lay a hand on any Cephirian native on sight at anytime and anywhere. Furthermore, we request all and any Britannians not to strike a hand against any allies of Cephiro, whether it is in Area 11 or in the New World of Cephiro, such as the Magic Knights and the people of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren. By signing in this peace treaty, you have accepted our terms that will soon be carried out to all citizens in both Area 11 and Cephiro. However, if any Britannian citizen, soldier, or Royal member violates any or all of following terms written above, this treaty will be terminated in three days unless notified in advance of any misunderstandings and to provide evidence in explaining it. If this isn't met at the end of the 3rd day, we will attack any Britannians on sight if entering Cephiro at anytime in the future."

"I understand!" Euphy acknowledged as she took out her pen before signing in the peace treaty.

"Sub-Viceroy, I don't know if we can accept their terms, they might be trying to trick us with sinister intentions!" The Naval Captain said, warning Euphy of what the Cephirians are really up to.

"If I can help Suzaku change his life to a better one, then I can also do the same for the Magic Knights and all of Cephiro!" Euphy said, in a determining tone of voice. "This might be my only chance to convince them to leave with their stolen goods."

However, before Euphy could write her signature on Ferio's Peace Treaty, Suzaku's intercom started buzzing in his right ear. As he excused himself from the private conference at Shinkene Island, Suzaku makes his response through his intercom.

"This is Major Kururugi reporting for duty!"

As the voice started speaking to Suzaku on the intercom, he immediately glared at the Magic Knights and drew his gun out at Hikaru without warning. Before anyone could react, Suzaku's gun fired at Hikaru, only to be intercepted by Fuu's Wings of Protection.

"SUZAKU, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Hikaru shrieked as she drew out her broadsword.

"Sorry Hikaru, but I've been given orders to have you all eliminated. So, you might as well forget your pathetic peace treaty!" Suzaku snarled.

At the same time, just like Suzaku, the Naval officers and the Britannian agents also listened to their intercoms and drew out their handguns before aiming them at the Magic Knights and the Cephirian Representatives. At the same time, Lloyd and Cecil felt surprised by an unexpected turn of events. Just as they opened fire, Clef raised his staff above and casted his spell to block the bullets heading straight for them.

"BARRIER SHIELD!"

"Everyone, get back onboard the NSX!" Ferio said, shouting out orders to the Magic Knights, Clef, and Lantis.

After the Magic Knights and the Cephirians ran back inside the Autozamian Battleship, along with Ferio's peace treaty in his hands, Euphy started to question herself on what went through Suzaku and the Britannians' heads just now.

"Guys, why are you shooting at them for?" Euphy asked, in anger. "I didn't recall giving out any order to do that!"

"Sorry, your highness. But we have just received word from our intercoms that their Black Knight allies just started attacking one of Britannia's airforce bases nearby at Shinkene Island, leaving the Magic Knights and the Cephirians to distract us!" Suzaku growled. "They ordered us to gun them down immediately for stalling! But no matter, they won't get very far, even while onboard that Autozamian Battleship!"

* * *

At the airforce base, several explosions erupted all over the area, destroying the aircraft carriers and VTOL gunships. It turns out that the Black Knights made too much noise when attempting to take over this area by force. As the VTOL gunship gets blown up by a Slash Harken coming from below, Tohdou's Gekka appears out of the forest, along with several Black Knight Burais!

"I can't believe that they spotted us and raised the alarm too soon!" Tohdou muttered to himself in embarrassment, as a Britannian Sutherland Sentry detected them in the forest a few minutes earlier. "That can only mean that the Magic Knights and the Cephirians have failed to reason with the Britannians at the docks."

As Tohdou activated his command channel from his Gekka, he issues out orders to the Black Knights.

"First Squad, Advance! Zero Squad, provide covering fire on their flanks!"

"FILTHY ELEVENS!" One of the Britannian pilots inside a Sutherland shouted as he opened fire at the Black Knights with his Assault Rifle.

The moment Kallen's Guren appeared and blasted an enemy Sutherland with her Radium Claw, she sees Rayearth appear right beside her, glaring at the Ace Pilot in anger and frustration.

"Kallen, what did you guys do? Geo bypassed the communication channel on Suzaku's intercom, only to discover that our Black Knight allies were caught causing chaos here, preventing Euphy from signing in Cephiro's Peace Treaty! As a result, Suzaku and the Britannians started opening fire upon us at the docks. I thought I told you to have the Black Knights stand down!"

"We got a little carried away when one of the Britannian Sentries caught us sneaking around this airforce base! I'll apologize for that!" Kallen replied in a embarrassed tone.

"Well, I'll deal with you and Zero later, young lady!" Clef hissed at Kallen as he appeared piloting his ArchWizard Knightmare, which was dropping in from above a few feet behind where Rayearth is standing.

As three Sutherlands steered towards the Archwizard, Clef activated the Knightmare's white staff and aimed it at the Britannian Knightmares on sight. In just mere seconds, the staff shoots out a 3-way Electrical Discharge and struck all three Sutherlands with one go. When the electricity struck at the Sutherlands, they all collapsed after getting jolted from the inside of their cockpits, putting all three of its pilots into cardiac arrest.

In the next minute, Clef sees a volley of missiles heading straight for him, in which was fired from an enemy Gloucester standing on top of a nearby building a several meters in front of the Master Mage. Without hesitation, Clef's Archwizard slammed its white staff into the ground with its flat end and spew out a large blue circle surrounding the white Knightmare. Just when the missiles got closer, the blue circle formed into a blue dome, protecting the Archwizard from getting hammered by its explosive damage. Feeling annoyed for not taking down the Archwizard, the Gloucester drew out its MVS and jumped off the building before charged towards the wizard-customized Knightmare. However, the Archwizard raised its left hand and shot out 4 finger-like Harkens at the charging Gloucester. As all 4 finger harkens pierced the Gloucester in both of its legs and arms, all of its limbs were zapped from within before they all exploded, making the Gloucester's remaining torso fall face flat on the ground before its hump back cockpit flew away from the battlefield. As the 4 fingers retracted themselves back to the Archwizard's left hand, Clef couldn't be more impressed that he was able to use a Knightmare of his own than rather use his magic against his enemies in Area 11.

"That Rakshata sure is quite a genius!" Clef thought as he pressed forward with his Archwizard, along with Hikaru after she took down 5 more enemy Sutherlands with her Fire and Lighting Magic.

On the other side of the Airbase, Ferio and Lantis deployed their Knightmares "Green Ranger" and "Black Crusader" in the middle of the raid. Those who weren't engaging the Black Knights opened fire at the two Cephirian Customized Knightmares with their Assault Rifles and their Giant Cannons. Despite their efforts, however, Lantis and Ferio were able to easily dodge their enemy fire with their steering, just like did when they took control of their customized Sutherland and Burai Kai.

Lantis charged forward with his Black Crusader as he drew out his blue lightsaber from underneath its right arm. With just one swift stroke of the saber, the Black Crusader steered towards the enemy and at the same time, he sliced 3 Sutherlands and dissected their torsos from their waists before they collapsed on their backs. When another Sutherland appeared at the Black Crusader's side and opened fire with its Staffen Missles and Assault Rifle, the Black Knightmare activated its electrical shield, zapping every missile that gets too close and shrugged off the enemy bullets. Before the Sutherland had a chance to fire again, the Black Crusader rotated its torso towards him and fired its Ion Cannon at the Knightmare's face, making it blow off from its torso before falling on its back. As the Black Crusader rotated its torso back to its normal position, its left pauldron opened up a hidden rocket pod. Just when a squad of 6 enemy Sutherlands appeared 10 meters from where Lantis' Knightmare is standing at, the Black Crusader started shooting out a volley of 20 small rockets. Upon impact, the rockets delivering multiple small cluster explosions that turned all 6 Sutherlands into a collapsed wreck, forcing all 6 pilots to eject from their wrecked Knightmares.

After Lantis moved on ahead to deal with the enemy garrison unit, Ferio's Green Ranger took out its Golden Bow gun and started shooting down the enemy Knightmares firing from above him. For every shot fired from the Ferio's Knightmares' Bow, it unleashed a powerful bolt filled with green energy. As the enemy Sutherlands got hit by the Ranger's Bow, it pierced its Tungsten Armor in the torso and sometimes through its face before they fell off the buildings that they're on top of. After shooting down three more enemy Sutherlands with his Bow gun, the Green Ranger drew out its huge scimitar from its scabbard and slashed at one Sutherland towards its left with one swift diagonal chop as Ferio's Knightmare steered right past him in a blink of an eye, cutting down the Britannian knightmare from its right shoulder down to its left waist and dissecting it in two before it exploded behind the Cephirian Prince. In a small distance, two VTOL gunships appeared in front of the Green Ranger and opened fire with their machine guns. Despite such efforts, however, both gunships are met with the Green Knightmare's Arrowhead Slash Harkens, obliterating them sky-high.

"OH YEAH! I'M ON FIRE!" Ferio shouted, excitedly as he made several more diagonal slashes with his Knightmare's Scimitar, along with a couple of hits with his Slash Harkens.

While the Magic Knights, Clef, Lantis, Ferio, and Kallen's group continued their fight against the Britannian Garrison Unit at the enemy airbase, Zero watches them from above while standing on top of a cliff with his Burai. As Zero sits inside the cockpit of his Burai, he couldn't help but imagine how impressive the warriors of Cephiro really are when defending their country.

"Impressive! It's no wonder that Cephiro's finest warriors were able to hold their ground against the Britannian Invaders back at their homeland without using any Knightmares before then. Now I have to wait until Euphy and Suzaku make their move here upon our visit!"

* * *

Back at port, a jeep carrying 4 Britannian Officers appeared in front of Suzaku, the Special Corps members, and Euphy. As the jeep stopped, one of the officers stood up from his seat as he makes his report in front of Sub-Viceroy Euphy.

"Headquarters appears to be under some sort of attack by the Black Knights!"

"We'll withdraw to the Tokyo Settlement!" Cecil suggested as she issues her orders towards the Britannian Officers. "Can you arrange an escort unit for Princess Euphemia?!"

"Negative! It's too risky to leave right now!" One of the Officers responded negatively. "They're jamming us with some wide-range interference!"

"You're going to be fine!" Suzaku told Euphy. "Don't worry your highness; I won't let any harm come to you!"

"No, Suzaku! You should go and help those men fend off the attack!" Euphy ordered her personal knight, referring to the garrison unit stationed at HQ.

"But Sub-Viceroy, he's an Honorary Britannian!" One of the officers protested, referring to Suzaku Kururugi. "We're certain that we are dealing with the Black Knights and Cephiro's Armies. What if he turns the Lancelot against us?!"

"You do realize that you're criticizing a member of royalty, right?!" Lloyd reminded the officer, noticing his defiant behavior towards Princess Euphy.

"Oh, uh! Forgive me, I didn't mean to!" The officer muttered in embarrassment.

"Kururugi, demonstrate your valor for us today, so that we'll silence all their threats and capture the Magic Knights on sight!" Euphy said, giving out her orders towards Suzaku up front.

"Right!" Suzaku acknowledged as he went back inside the Britannian Battleship to ready the Lancelot.

* * *

As Kallen fired her Guren's wrist cannon at one Sutherland, making him eject upon defeat, the red Knightmare jumped backwards, evading firings coming from the second enemy Sutherland, zeroed into it before returning fire.

"WORTHLESS GARRISON UNIT!" Kallen snarled as she unleashed her Radium Waves upon the second Sutherland, making him collapse in a wrecked state, than rather explode into a million pieces.

"I'll finish the job... WHAT?!" Tamaki grinned before being startled after his Burai gets attacked from behind.

As Tamaki ejected from his exploding Knightmare, the Lancelot appears as he retraced his slash harkens back into both of its arms. The next thing the white Knightmare did was activate its energy shield, blocking off incoming fire from the Green Ranger's Bow Gun. While inside the Lancelot, Suzaku noticed that the Cephirians are commandeering strange, medieval-like Knightmares, apart from the Magic Knights' Rune God Knightmares.

"It looks like the Cephirians are able to adapt to Knightmare combat, just like the Black Knights did," Suzaku thought to himself. "But no matter, I'll still take them on!"

When the Lancelot drew out his MVS, he charged straight at the Green Ranger and was met with a huge Scimitar Blade lashing out at him. After backing away from one attack by the Green Ranger's Scimitar, the Lancelot raised his MVS and slammed its blade onto the Green Knightmare's blade in close proximity. While struggling to maintain his guard against Suzaku's Lancelot, Ferio was able to raise his voice from inside the Green Ranger.

"You have no idea who you're dealing with, young man!" Ferio snarled in anger. "You have no honor when fighting against your own people!"

"If you hand over Zero now, I'll make this easy for you Prince Ferio!" Suzaku hissed as he shoved the GR's Scimitar away from the Lancelot's face.

"He's still watching us from above. So, if you want him so bad, you're going to have to come and get him personally!" Ferio smirked as his Green Ranger jumped backwards 25 feet away from the Lancelot.

As Suzaku looked further behind the Green Ranger, he spots Zero standing on top of his Burai from the Lancelot's main camera.

"Zero, there you are!"

"That's right Suzaku, come!" Zero glared at the Lancelot from the distance. "Hikaru, lure him in!"

"Understood!" Hikaru said as she and Rayearth appeared next to the Green Ranger. "Hey Suzaku! Over here!"

"Hikaru, you are mine!" Suzaku smirked as he sets his sights on the Magic Knight of Fire and Rayearth while piloting his Lancelot.

As Rayearth flew in a straight line, with the Lancelot chasing her down, the Black Knights and Cephiro's warriors scattered while Tohdou gives out his orders to the group.

"Confirming target! All units, assume formation and fall back. Let Lady Hikaru lure the Lancelot in. Do not fire on the target. I repeat. Do not Fire!"

At the same time, the Lancelot and Rayearth resumed their fierce sword fight from last time. The moment Rayearth landed on the ground, she drew out her Escudo Broadsword and clashed her blade against the Lancelot's MVS. In the next move, the Lancelot lifted the MVS up high and slammed a right kick at Rayearth's face only for it to get blocked by the Rune God's red shield. In retaliation, Rayearth attempted to slam his shield into the Lancelot's face, using its lion's claw from its lower end like a bayonet. However, the Lancelot dodged Rayearth's shield thrust and slid past the Rune God with its right foot above its left foot. In a split second, the Lancelot did a sweeping arc with its MVS at Rayearth's legs only for Hikaru to jump up high, missing the blade by a mere inch of her feet. Just when Hikaru and Rayearth are now in mid-air, she aimed her magic at the Lancelot.

"FLAME ARROW!"

As the flaming missile shot towards the white Knightmare, Suzaku steered the Lancelot to its side, dodging Hikaru's magic for he cannot risk blocking it with its shield and making the shield blow up from its overuse. After the Lancelot evading Hikaru's magic, Suzaku continued to chase after the Red Rune God all over the HQ, with their swords flashing and clanging against each other.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the HQ, the commander in charge of the base is standing in front of his subordinates. The subordinates are seen at their work stations, working on their computers as they surveyed and analyzed the surroundings of their base, as well as making reports for any strange unusual activity in the area. Before the commander knew it, he has received a phone call from Prince Shinizel. As the commander listened closely to what his caller said to him, he makes his report to the Britannian Prince.

"Yes, thanks to the Special Corps! What?! But that would mean...! Yes, your highness!"

After several sword duels and hit and runs, Rayearth finally lured the Lancelot straight into a huge, circular sand ditch.

"She's not putting up a fight like last time. Is Hikaru trying to draw me into a trap, using herself as bait?!" Suzaku thought in his mind. "If that's true, then I'm going to take her down quickly before its too late! FINE THEN!"

As the Lancelot fired its right Slash Harken from its hand, striking into the sand a few inches from where Rayearth is moving towards, the Rune God stopped and turned around to face the white Knightmare while making a defensive posture with her Broadsword. The moment the Lancelot landed in front of Rayearth, he aimed his Varis at the Rune God, pointing the rifle straight at her face.

"Hikaru, I've got you..."

"Right where..."

"I want you!"

At the same time, the whole sentence was broken up into three pieces, spoke by Suzaku, Hikaru, and then Fuu. After Fuu finished her sentence, she unleashed a torrent of her wind magic from Windam's hand at the Lancelot while in mid-air, a few meters above Rayearth.

"WINGS OF ADMONISHMENT!"

As the spell struck at the Lancelot, it wrapped around the white Knightmare. As a result, the Lancelot is unable to move or break free, much to Suzaku's shock. While inside his cockpit, Suzaku sees red lights flashing as it started beeping in an alarming rate, with the screen turning black as the cameras turn off.

"What the? Did Fuu just restrain my Knightmare with her powers?! This isn't good!"

As Suzaku uselessly struggled with the controls inside the Lancelot's cockpit, he hears Zero from the communication channel as he came out of his Knightmare. The next thing Suzaku saw was that Zero's Burai appearing several feet across from where the Lancelot is standing. After Windam descended from her flight and landed next to the Burai and Rayearth, Zero makes his announcement towards Euphy's personal knight.

"We need to talk Kururugi! I suggest you come out! Your secondary systems should be functioning. You'll be treated as an prisoner under Cephirian Law! Of course, if you don't care to talk, we could just gun you down!"

Before Suzaku knew it, he finds himself surrounded by the Black knights' Knightmares, Selece, Archwizard, Green Ranger, and the Black Crusader all aiming their weapons and magic at Lancelot from above the Burai, Windam, and Rayearth.

* * *

Meanwhile back on board the Britannian Ship, Cecil is checking on the Lancelot's stats from a nearby computer only to find that white Knightmare is being disabled by one of the Magic Knights' supernatural powers, which is seen on the main screen.

"Suzaku in trouble, guys!" Cecil reported as she observed the malfunctions all over the Lancelot's interface. "I think Lady Fuu must've used something on the Lancelot that's making it stop abruptly in its tracks; something that is shutting down the Sakuradite System."

"I don't care!" Euphy said, taken back against what Cecil just reported from the computer. "Tell Suzaku to abandon the unit! What could possibly go wrong?!"

"It seems that the Knight of Wind was able to restrain the Lancelot with some sort of binding power!" Lloyd said, grimly.

"Wait, you mean...?!" Cecil asked Lloyd as she turned her face towards the Earl.

"Such cunning, these super warriors sure have!" Lloyd continued in a serious tone. "We really should've been more careful in dealing with the Magic Knights up close and person. What a fool I am! That Fuu sure has such interesting supernatural powers, similar to that of a jamming, restraining device."

* * *

Back at the area where they're holding up the Lancelot, Rakshata appears outside of the sand ditch while observing Windam unleash her spell at the white Knightmare.

"It seems that Fuu was able to restrain the Lancelot with some sort of tractor beam-like power!" Rakshata grinned while holding her pipe with her left hand.

"I know right?!" Geo spoke as he and the GTO landed on the ground softly behind Rakshata. "It's just like what Zazu mentioned earlier, Fuu's powers emphasis on defensive and support, as well as incapacitating her enemies up front."

"I guess, it's a bit more sufficient than those Gaffon Disturbers that I developed recently!" Rakshata thought.

As Suzaku came out of the Lancelot, he gets confronted by Zero while being held at gunpoint.

"I'll get straight to the point!" Zero announced as he approached Suzaku with his gun held up to his waist. "I want you to join me!"

"Is that a threat?!" Suzaku retorted. "Well, you can forget it. I already made up my mind! Results gained through contemptible means are worthless to me. Not to mention that you were using the Magic Knights as a distraction! You can't really think that they could intercept Britannia when joining forces with you; some peace treaty that was!"

"Really?! Well, do you think that the peace that the Cephirians and the Elevens are offering now is worthless?" Zero asked, feeling taken back by what Suzaku just said. "If Japan had resistance to its very last breath seven years ago, what do you think would happen? The Chinese Federation and the E.U would've stepped in and split Japan in three, they would be fighting even now. However, in the New World, if Britannia hadn't invaded and attacked Cephiro, the Magic Knights and Cephirians would've been at peace by now; In fact, they wouldn't bother coming here to settle the score with the Britannian Empire. Our current peace with Britannia would be the result of Japan's immediate and unconditional surrender."

"That's right and I've been fighting to preserve my father's peace ever since it began." Suzaku said as he looked down on himself.

"You're wrong!" Hikaru shouted as she came out of her Rune God and walked up next to Zero. "From what Zero said, Prime Minister Kururugi elected by the people of Japan didn't choose surrender. That decision was selfishly made by his killer son!"

"Uh Oh!" Suzaku gasped to himself.

"If you hadn't killed your father and delivered Japan to Britannia, our parents would've been able to live peacefully with us Magic Knights and that we wouldn't get caught up in resistance against the Empire seven years later!" Hikaru said while glaring at the Honorary Britannian. "Since our government was overthrown, we Japanese had no choice but to surrender without putting up a challenge. Our will to fight back was stolen by a lone criminal that was pursuing his own selfish agenda."

"If that's true, then how do you, Umi, and Fuu..." Suzaku asked before his question was immediately cut out by Hikaru's immediate answer.

"It was supposed to be a little secret between me and my two best friends from our separate Junior High Schools because before all this, our powers do not work here like it did in Cephiro! But now that Clef gave us the ability to have our powers to adapt to our own world, our journey to save our world has just begun. We can't hide our secret anymore; it'll be a matter of time before the whole world finds out who we are when we showed our hand of resistance. Our pride and our honor to protect the people we love is what kept us going for it is what we Magic Knights are all fighting for up until now!"

"You mean, you didn't try to deceive the Britannians with what Cephiro is offering?!" Suzaku said, feeling both shocked and confused.

"It may not be easy trying to have your enemies atone for what they had done, not even for me or the three countries that attempted to invade Cephiro before Britannia came in. But we did not give up hope for our friends." Hikaru continued. "Eventually, they were all able to come to their senses before we faced off Cephiro's true enemy. You can still atone for everything that you've done up to this point if you present our fellow Japanese with the choices that they weren't to make before then, the path that was robbed from them seven years ago when fighting Britannia."

"Fighting them?! That again?" Suzaku sneered in an umbrage tone.

"It's an option worth exploring or would you rather drive the masses of their future over your own egotism?" Zero added in while still pointing his gun at Suzaku. "Do you really call that peace?"

Before Suzaku could say anymore, despite his frustration in not make a decision, he started hearing a transmission coming from his intercom by another Britannian Commanding Officer back in the Shinkene Island HQ.

 _"Major Kururugi, please respond!"_

"May I?" Suzaku asked Zero and Hikaru before making his response to his caller.

"As you wish," Zero acknowledged as Suzaku held his hand up to his intercom.

 _"This is Lt. Colonel Faire, the controller on Shinkene Island. We're launching surface-to-surface missiles against the terrorists! Your orders are to keep Zero and one of the Magic Knights there!"_

Upon hearing what the Britannian Controller told Suzaku, Hikaru and Zero both gasped in horror that they're going to use Suzaku as live bait to destroy them all.

"What the?!" Hikaru shrieked. "It can't be!"

"They're getting him to die along with both of us!" Zero muttered in horror.

As Suzaku grabbed the gun from Zero, Hikaru drew out her sword in order to intercept Suzaku up close and person. However, by the time Suzaku held Zero as a meat shield, he opened fire at the Flame Knight before she had the chance to charge at him. In just less than a second, two bullets struck at Hikaru's legs, another one at her right shoulder blade, and one bullet grazed across her temple, making her bleed from Hikaru's head on her right side before collapsing on her back. At the same time, Hikaru dropped her sword on the ground, inches away from here she is at.

"UGH!" Hikaru gasped as she struggled on the ground, with blood coming out of her injuries and clutching them with both of her hands.

"MS. HIKARU!" Fuu shrieked as she unwillingly disengaged from her binding wind spell on the Lancelot upon seeing Hikaru badly injured on the ground below her.

Before Windam was about to use her healing magic on a fallen Hikaru Shidou, the Lancelot did something that was unexpected. As soon as the Lancelot is released from his bounds, Suzaku activated his remote key and ordered the white Knightmare to fire a shot at Windam with his VARIS. Upon impact, Fuu screamed as she got blasted away by the Varis' full power, knocking her out before she was sent flying up into the sky, much to Ferio's horror.

"FUUUUUUUUU!" Ferio cried in fear, as he steered Green Ranger away from the area to recover his Magic Knight girlfriend.

As the Green Ranger disappeared into the forest, Suzaku dragged Zero all the way back into the Lancelot.

"Kururugi? What are you...?" Zero gasped for air while being held against his own will by Suzaku.

"I can't approve of your methods, but the only thing I could do right now is this!" Suzaku snarled.

"N-No! S-Suzaku please d-don't d-do t-this!" Hikaru gasped weakly while raising her hand up towards Zero and Suzaku before going in and out of consciousness due to her injuries. Despite holding on, Hikaru's world went black as she close her eyes and lost consciousness. As Hikaru collapsed both injured, bleeding, and out cold, her hand hit the ground, no longer moving.

For Lantis, upon seeing his beloved lay on the sand badly injured, he made his attempt with his Black Crusader in rushing down towards the ditch to save Hikaru. However, the Lancelot immediately pointed his Varis at Lantis' Knightmare, while being controlled by Suzaku's remote.

"Stay back, Lantis!" Suzaku shouted as he glared at the Black Crusader. "Or you're next!"

Unable to pull off anymore stunts with his Knightmare, Lantis stood still as he feared for the safety of an injured Hikaru. As soon as Suzaku held Zero at gunpoint, Kallen snarled from outside of the area they're both in.

"Why you little...?!"

"Don't move, Suzaku might have the Lancelot shoot someone else next if you get too close!" Tohdou ordered Kallen as he spoke through her communication channel.

"But Zero and Hikaru are..." Kallen stammered in protest.

As for the rest of Cephiro's warriors and the Black Knights, they all stood there helplessly as they see Suzaku drag Zero back into the Lancelot.

* * *

Back at the docks, a Portman Knightmare approached the Britannian Officers and the Special Corps Trailer. As the Portman pilot disembarked from his Knightmare, the captain makes his report to his officers.

"We're assigning the Portman unit to escort them. The Sub-Viceroy should be taken out of...!"

"WAIT!" Euphy shouted as she appeared out of the head trailer, along with Cecil and Lloyd.

"Are you going to destroy the Lancelot?" Lloyd gasped.

"Kururugi is holding Zero there!" The Captain announced. "This will be our chance to kill him."

"And whose idea was this?!" Euphy retorted as she glared at the Captain sternly. "Major Kururugi is my personal knight!"

"It was a Parallel Level One order! It can only be counter-manned by the consensus of at least three ranking generals or the Viceroy herself I'm afraid!" The Captain explained towards the Sub-Viceroy.

"Then who exactly issued this order Captain?!" Euphy asked, feeling determined to save Suzaku from getting killed. "Get me a line to them immediately!"

"Parallel Level One Order, Princess Euphemia!" The Captain repeated, not wanting to listen to Euphy.

Feeling annoyed by such ignorance from the Captain, Euphy rushed forward, shoving the officer away from her as she makes her way to the Portman Knightmare without hesitation.

"OUT OF MY WAY!"

"Sub-Viceroy!"

"Contact the base!" Euphy ordered as she hoisted herself up to the Portman's cockpit. "Tell them that there's a chance that I'll be caught in the attack. See if they'll initiate their launch then!"

In Euphy's point of view, she insisted on doing something reckless in order to help Suzaku survive his counter-attack against the Black Knights. However, for the Captain and the officers, they find Euphy's reckless behavior unacceptable as they made their attempt to tell her to stand down.

"Please, stop this at once! Think about what you're doing!"

As for Cecil and Lloyd, they both still have doubts that the Britannians will stop their attack when Euphy is out there.

* * *

Upon seeing the radar interface from inside the Archwizard, Clef spotted a swarm of red dots heading in their direction. As his cockpit started beeping in alarm, it didn't take Clef long enough to figure out what is heading towards him.

"Everyone, we got incoming enemy fire heading in our way!"

Ignoring what Clef said, Kallen steered her Guren towards the Lancelot.

"Hikaru, hang on! I'm coming!"

Before Kallen could come any closer to the unconscious Magic Knight, the Guren gets shot at by the Lancelot's Varis in one of the legs, blowing it up and making her Knightmare collapse on its stomach.

"DAMMIT!" Kallen shrieked as she felt herself shaking after her Guren crashed into the ground.

Inside the cockpit, Suzaku shoved Zero in first while still aiming his gun at the masked leader.

"You and Hikaru are both going to die here as well!" Zero shouted at Suzaku in horror. "You don't have a problem with that?"

Before Suzaku could respond to Zero, he hears the Lt. Commander from the Shinkene Base speaking to him from the "Sound Only" Communication Channel.

 _"Your sacrifice isn't in vain, Major! We're about to put an end to the most dangerous criminals our homeland has ever known. They'll speak of your bravery for generations to come!"_

"SHUT UP!" Zero roared at the communication channel as he slammed onto the controls with his left fist!

Outside of the Lancelot, the Cephirian Warriors and the Black Knights are able to see the enemy missiles approaching and without hesitation, Tohdou shouts out his orders to all of his comrades and allies.

"All Knightmares and Mechs, target on those missiles and throw a barrage! Empty all your guns if you have to!"

Upon hearing Tohdou's orders, the Black Knights' Knightmares opened fire with their assault rifles and hand-mounted guns. As for Selece and the Cephirian Knightmares, they unleashed their crossbow fire and magic at the incoming missiles as well.

"WATER DRAGON!" Umi shouted as she unleashed a blue dragon with red eyes at the missiles.

When Umi's spell flew up into the air, it swallowed a dozen of missiles as they flew off course and exploded into each other while the Black Knights' barrage shoot down the other missiles at the same time. For Clef, he had his Archwizard raise its staff up high above his head and shot out a chain-lighting attack that zapped the missiles and exploded upon impact while the electrical surges stretched both left and right, destroying the other missiles as well.

Lantis aimed his Crusader's Ion cannon at the incoming missiles. With every ion beam shooting out from the cannon, it blew up several missiles that got too close to it. He knew that saving Hikaru was his top priority. However, Lantis also wanted to make sure that the area is safe and out of harm's way first before he can get Hikaru to the sick bay onboard the NSX.

"Hang in there, Hikaru!" Lantis thought to himself. "I'm coming to save you!"

As for Kallen, she gets out of her cockpit and landed on her feet on the ground below her before hollering at Suzaku as she ran towards the Lancelot.

"Suzaku! Let Zero go! It's me Kallen Stadfeld from the Student Council. LOOK AT ME!"

A few miles away from the area, Euphy's Portman makes its way through the forest in hopes of trying to save Suzaku Kururugi from death.

"Suzaku, you can't die now!" Euphy spoke inside her head.

"A soldier must always sacrifice everything when following orders!" Suzaku hissed at Zero.

"Certainly easier than following your own heart!" Zero jeered as he snapped at Suzaku. "HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS? SHOOTING DOWN AND INJURING HIKARU AND ATTEMPTING TO KILL ME THROUGH A SUICIDE ATTACK?!"

"YOU'RE WRONG! I HAVE RULES THAT I MADE AND NEED TO LIVE BY! IF YOU AND HIKARU HADN'T CHOOSE TO REBEL AGAINST THE EMPIRE LIKE THIS, MAYBE I WOULD'VE SPARED BOTH OF YOU FROM GETTING KILLED RIGHT NOW!" Suzaku shouted back at Zero while still holding his gun at him.

As a huge shadow looms over the entire area, Suzaku looks up only to see the Avalon appear right above him. At the same time, Kallen stops running and sees the Avalon above her as well. For Rakshata, she takes her pipe out of her mouth out of seeing something unexpected from the Avalon.

"They completed a float system? Why I'm not surprise."

Outside of the ditch, Euphy's Portman stops at a nearby ledge before the Princess looks up to the sky. Upon seeing the Avalon approach, Euphy recognizes the ship. In her point of view, it happens to be the very same ship that appeared before rescuing her, Cornelia, and her men from getting taken down and capture of Cephiro's forces. It was Prince Schneizel.

"It's my brother's Avalon!" Euphy gasped.

As the shootout at the missiles continued, the shots coming from the Black Knights and Cephiro's troops were being deflected by the Avalon's Luminous Shield. The moment Prince Schneizel raised his right hand across to his side, he gives out the order to shoot Zero down along with Suzaku and the Lancelot. Upon heeding the Prince's orders, the bottom hatches open up, two ominous red-glowing circles appeared from the darkness as if some strange Knightmare inside the ship is getting ready to fire with it's shoulder cannons.

"NO! IT CAN'T BE!" Tohdou said in horror as he sees the unidentified Knightmare powering up both of it's shoulder cannons before taking aim at the Lancelot.

"What the?!" Lantis gasped after seeing a strange Knightmare preparing to fire from inside the Avalon from the interface inside his Black Crusader. "No way! It's that ship that got in our way back in Cephiro!"

At the same time, Umi started freaking out after seeing what's going on around her. As a result, the Blue Magic Knight turned towards Clef's Archwizard while in a total panic.

"CLEF, DO SOMETHING! THAT THING UP THERE IS GOING TO KILL HIKARU AND LANTIS!" Umi shrieked loudly n a high-pitched frantic tone of voice.

"I'm on it!" Clef acknowledged as he made his attempt to raise a barrier shield with the Archwizard's staff.

When Zero popped his head out of the cockpit and sees what Suzaku just saw, he realized that a knightmare from inside the darkness of the ship's interior is going to finish him and an unconscious Hikaru off.

"DO SOMETHING, YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!" Zero shouted at Suzaku.

"BETTER THAN BREAKING THE RULES!" Suzaku denied in a stubborn tone.

"YOU STUBBORN FOOL!" Zero shouted as his mask opens up, revealing his left eye.

In total horrified silence, Euphy gets out of the Portman before running towards the Lancelot, Hikaru is seen still out cold and bleeding, Clef powers up the Archwizard's Staff with a light blue circle appearing on the staff's tip, Lantis reaches out towards the downed flame knight with the Black Crusader's right hand in attempting to save Hikaru from getting blasted from above, Kallen started shouting at Zero and Suzaku with an inaudible tone, and C.C stares blankly on screen before the unknown Knightmare fired its shoulder cannons at the ditch where Hikaru, Kallen, Lantis, Suzaku, Euphy, and Zero are all at.

As the entire screen turned into a bright red sky and the trees turned from green to orange, the Knightmare's cannons shot out a heavy barrage of scattering fire that covered up the entire ditch, leaving behind the fate of all 6 people unknown, probably dead by the cannon's fatal effects.


	17. Island Odyssey

Chapter 17: Island Odyssey

Several hours later, Hikaru slowly opened up one of her eyes, apart from her other eye that is covered in blood, and finds herself at a nearby beach, laying flat on her back on the sand. Before she gets up, the flame knight starts grunting in pain. As she looked at herself, Hikaru just realized that she is still wounded and bleeding after her previous encounter with Suzaku and the Lancelot. The last thing she could remember was when she was shot by Euphy's personal knight when they failed to capture him in Shinkene Island. In addition, Hikaru felt pain in both of her legs as she cannot use them to pick herself up from the ground.

"Ugh!" Hikaru grunted as she clutched her gunshot wound with her left hand. "Where am I? Where is everyone?"

Ignoring some of the pain from her wounds, Hikaru dragged herself up to a big rock nearby using both of her hands to pull herself across the beach, with her legs both incapacitated, and leaned her back against the rock. After taking a few deep breaths, Hikaru sees her magic glove in her right hand before observing the area around her. As the flame knight looked up to the sky, Hikaru sees seagulls chirping and flying from a distance away and waves crashing into some of the rocks behind her, concluding that she is somewhere along the shores of some island.

"I'm still bleeding!" Hikaru muttered to herself as she felt her legs covered in blood. "Where is Fuu when I need her! I have to find a way to treat my injuries before I pass out from blood loss."

Before Hikaru could do anything, she heard someone emerge from the ocean and gasping for air. As Hikaru looked to her right, she spotted Euphy coming out of the ocean waves, with her regal dress and her hair completely soaked. Just as Euphy spotted Hikaru leaning against a huge rock, the Britannian Princess and the Magic Knight of Fire stared at each other in silence, with their eyes widened with shock.

* * *

On the other side of the same Island, Suzaku finds himself on top of a ledge several miles above the shores and underneath the shade of a nearby tree. After observing the environment carefully, Suzaku realizes that he somehow ended up on another island.

"I wonder how did I ended up on this island?! For some reason, this island is a lot more different from that of Shinkene!" Suzaku thought to himself before he walked into the sunlight. "There's no other way to contact the others without a communicator. The only thing that's more important is to find another source of drinkable water and shelter."

When Suzaku ventured into the woods, he comes across a huge waterfall out in the open. But before Suzaku could take a drink, he spotted a naked woman trying to take a shower in a distance from the bushes near right where he was standing. As he looked closely at her, Suzaku recognizes her as Kallen Stadfeld.

"Kallen?! It can't be!?" Suzaku gasped before he announces his presence to the unaware red-haired girl. "Excuse me!"

As Kallen turned around to see Suzaku appear from the bushes behind her, she immediately grabbed a nearby black uniform and put it close to her bare chest as she drew out her knife from underneath it. The moment Suzaku sees Kallen's uniform, his eyes widened with shock for he just realized that the Kallen he knew turned out to be one of the terrorists working for Zero.

"A Black Knight uniform?! You mean you were...?!"

"RRRRRAAAAAAARRRRRRGHHH!" Kallen shouted as she charged at Suzaku, arming herself to the teeth with her knife.

However, before Kallen could stab Suzaku with her knife, the Britannian Knight sidestepped away from her attack and grabbed her by the wrist. Before Kallen knew it, she screamed in terror as Suzaku flipped her over to the ground and pinned her down.

"Kallen Stadfeld, I don't believe it..." Suzaku hissed before Kallen answered back.

"DON'T CALL ME BY THAT NAME!" Kallen shouted in anger. "KALLEN KOZUKI IS MY REAL NAME! I'm Japanese! Yes, I'm a Black Knight! Got it?! I'm not going to hide that anymore."

"Well then Kallen, I'm placing you under arrest for conspiracy and rebellion against the Britannian Empire!" Suzaku snarled as he had Kallen put on her clothes before restraining her with her hands tied behind her back.

* * *

Back at the scene where Hikaru and Euphy are facing each other, Hikaru felt really anxious about what the 3rd Britannian Princess is about to do to her while wounded and bleeding. Refusing to back down, Hikaru drew out her sword from her magic glove and pointed the blade at Euphy.

"Stay back Euphy, I'm already sitting ducks here and the last thing I need is to get ambushed by another Britannian on sight!" Hikaru glared while holding onto her wounded shoulder blade with her left hand.

"Hikaru, it's okay. What Suzaku did back there, I didn't have anything to do with it. I was just as horrified as you were when they ordered him to do you in, honest!" Euphy replied, trying to placate the Flame Knight.

"You liar! I thought for sure that you and Cornelia are thinking about the same thing!" Hikaru snarled as she struggled to keep her blade up. "Trying to hunt me down after my true identity as a Magic Knight has been exposed and..."

"You've got nothing to worry about. Because, I'm not like my elder sister!" Euphy interrupted calmly, as she dauntlessly approached the wounded knight. "I maybe a Britannian Princess, but I still want to find peace with the Japanese too, just like you."

Before Hikaru could say anything, she felt Euphy's hands touch hers. In an instant, Hikaru blinked once and, to her surprise, she felt some strange aura coming from Euphy's mind, starting from seven years ago. After a few minutes of experiencing some past revelation, Hikaru just realized that Euphy was there too when Cornelia took her parents onboard her G-1 Base.

"No way, you were there too, onboard that Mobile Fortress?!" Hikaru gasped as she dropped her sword on the sand next to her left.

"I was, but I was still too young to do anything back then. This is way before I became Sub-Viceroy of Area 11!" Euphy answered for Hikaru. "I actually of felt bad for you and your parents."

"Why do you even care about that anyway?" Hikaru wheezed while holding onto her wounded shoulder blade. "I'm just another terrorist aiding the Cephirians and the Black Knights on the battlefield."

"Because even then, we're still actually not that much of a difference you and I," Euphy said only to see Hikaru collapse onto her side.

In less than a second, Euphy grabbed Hikaru by the arms and carried her onto her back, ignoring the Eleven's weight. As Euphy stood up on her two legs, Hikaru's sword went back into her magic glove before Euphy proceeded forward.

"Why? Why would you be helping me, despite everything that happened recently?" Hikaru asked upon noticing that she is being carried over Euphy's shoulders.

"When I heard about how you were there defending the New World, you do remind me a lot like Suzaku. They way you both fought to change the world that you cared about, your devotion towards a country that is not of your own, and how you two were able to display your determination when fighting for others," Euphy said as she smiled at Hikaru. "You and Suzaku may have been rivals for a long time but even then, you both still need to get along, since you both are still Japanese citizens."

"What about that knighting ceremony that you placed on Suzaku recently?" Hikaru asked further. "He's likely going to be just as threatening as the other Britannians when engaging the Cephirians out there!"

"I still wanted to show Suzaku Britannia's good side from my perspective!" Euphy smiled. "I can still show you the same as well, if you at least give me a chance. After all, I have no intention of abusing my authority as a Britannian Princess in Area 11."

Upon hearing what Euphy just said, Hikaru finally realized that Zazu's theory was correct. It turns out that Euphy is just as kind and caring as Hikaru was when supporting her friends on the battlefield before herself. Now that Hikaru thought about it, she is starting to suspect that Euphy is actually being more friendly than hostile. However, Hikaru still feared that regardless of Euphy's behavior, her actions will still be called into question with her subjects.

"Even if you were able to help me here, it won't change the fact that your fellow Britannians are still going to bring me in as their prisoner as soon as they find us!" Hikaru warned Euphy.

Before Euphy could say anymore to Hikaru, she and the Flame Knight accidentally stumbled into Zero who was standing on top of a rock above them. At the same time, Zero turned around to see Euphy carrying Hikaru across her shoulders, much to his confusion.

* * *

After Kallen put her clothes on, she had both of her hands tied behind her back by Suzaku while sitting down in a criss-cross. As soon as Suzaku put her Black Knight uniform over her shoulders, he started making his personal interrogation on the Black Knight Ace. After learn about what Kallen had been through all the way until now, Suzaku started summarizing what the Japanese Black Knight elaborated.

"I see. You don't know how you ended up on this island either!"

"It serves you right."Kallen retorted. "If my fellow Black Knights ever get here, you're the one who's going to get arrested!"

"You mean Zero?!" Suzaku asked, taken back by what Kallen just said.

"You heard me!" Kallen smirked. "And since Hikaru and the Magic Knights are on our side, you won't be getting away that easily!"

"Before he does, there is still something I want to know about Zero. Do you know who Zero really is?!" Suzaku asked, making his interrogation towards the captured Black Knight.

"Why don't you find out yourself then?!" Kallen glared, with Suzaku realizing that she doesn't know Zero's true identity either. "Or maybe ask Hikaru?! She might know, since she was very close to Zero as his personal ally."

"If you don't know who Zero is, then why do you and Hikaru fight by his side then?" Suzaku said sternly.

"Beats me!" Kallen retorted.

* * *

Upon seeing Euphy carrying Hikaru on top of her, Zero pulls out his gun, thinking that he may need to have Euphy put Hikaru down before taking her prisoner and treating the Magic Knight of her injuries. As he aimed his gun at the 3rd Britannian Princess, Euphy starts to hear herself out to Zero, announcing the masked figure his true identity in front of Hikaru too.

"Lelouch, its you isn't it?!" Euphy spoke towards Zero, much to Hikaru's shock.

"What the?" Hikaru gasped while still on top of the Princess. "How did she...?"

"I haven't told anyone about you, I swear!" Euphy continued with her speech, calmly and sternly. "Before you shoot me or take Hikaru back from me, please let me see your face."

As Zero put his gun away, he takes off his mask with one hand and pulls his scarf off his mouth. After taking a really good look at Zero/Lelouch, Euphy made a small smile, realizing that her hunch was correct.

"Lelouch! It's so good to see you again!" Euphy said, feeling relieved as tears came out of her eyes.

As Euphy put Hikaru down on the soft sand, Lelouch came down from the rock that he was standing and decided to help Euphy treat Hikaru of her injuries. Lelouch had Hikaru lay on her back with her legs facing Euphy as he held her down by both of her shoulders with his hands.

"Here, Hikaru, you may need this!" Lelouch said as he hand her a small log for Hikaru to clench her teeth on.

As soon as Euphy takes off her gloves, she reaches into Hikaru's wounds to take out the bullets stuck inside the Magic Knight's flesh. During the process, Hikaru started grunting in pain while biting down on her log which prevented her from making any unnecessary screaming. After Euphy took out the bullets with her bare hands, Hikaru aimed her finger at a small pile of logs and shot out a small line of fire at it. As it struck the pile, a small fire appeared before Lelouch and Euphy. Without hesitation, Euphy grabbed a small log that has a burning tip on one end and pampered on Hikaru's wounds, making the bleeding stop temporarily. After Euphy and Lelouch are done treating Hikaru of her injuries, Euphy kindly pulled out a small rag from her dress and soaking it with water from the ocean. Euphy wiped off the blood from Hikaru's skin with her rag while she started breathing normally again.

"Thank you, Euphy." Hikaru said while shuddering in pain. "I never thought you were that kind for a Britannian."

"It's nothing at all, Hikaru!" Euphy smiled, as she patted Hikaru on the head. "Besides, I do want to learn more about Cephiro and Japan the easiest way possible.

* * *

Back at Shinkene Island, an investigation team has been dispatched at the place where Euphy's disappearance took place in. Shortly after their failed attempt of capturing Suzaku, the Black knights and the Cephirians fled with their lives as the Britannian Security Force makes their sweep across the area where Euphy was last seen at, both on land and underwater.

As the Cephirians fled back to the NSX, they met up with Ferio's Green Ranger who is carrying Windam over his shoulders, much to Umi's horror. Upon noticing Umi falling under a state of panic after seeing what happened to both Hikaru and Fuu, she couldn't help but break down in tears thinking that she will never see them again. After an unconscious Fuu was taken to the sick bay to be treated of her injuries, with Ferio watching over her, Umi went to the mess hall with Ascot comforting her while Clef and Lantis went to the bridge to help Geo track down Hikaru and Zero.

"Oh Hikaru! Where could see have gone?" Umi cried.

"Umi, please just calm down!" Ascot said, trying to sympathize with the Knight of Water.

"This is just like what happened during our assault upon Cornelia at the docks!" Umi muttered in despair. "I mean, Hikaru just had to disappear twice off the battlefield. Twice, I tell you, TWICE! I just can't let her do anything on her own anymore!"

"Don't worry, Umi!" Ascot said as he embraced the Knight of Water in his arms, with her hugging him back. "We won't give up on them!"

Back at the bridge of the NSX, Clef couldn't help but worry about what happened when that unidentified Knightmare fired upon Hikaru and Lantis several hours earlier. The last thing the Master Mage could remember was when, after he activated another Blue Core Luminous Shield Barrier to ward off the scattering fire coming from above, Hikaru, Kallen, and Euphy suddenly disappeared in a blinding red flash, leaving Lantis completely confused on what just happened. During the confusion, Lt. Colonel Tohdou gave the order to the Black Knights a full retreat back to their submarine while Clef ordered Lantis, Ferio, and the Cephirians to fall back to the NSX, with their Knightmares and the Guren-MKII in tow.

"I wonder why would Hikaru disappear in a flash?" Lantis thought to himself, feeling worried about the Knight of Flame for her disappearance again.

"This doesn't make any sense!" Clef thought. "I wonder if their is some strange supernatural occurrences happening in Area 11. If so, then what was it?"

"Say Geo, do you have any probable cause that Hikaru and Zero might be somewhere close to Shinkene Island?" Lantis asked the sub-commander.

As Geo was observing the monitor for the islands surrounding Shinkene Island, the screen reveals Kaminejima Island which is several miles away from the first one.

"In my theory, it maybe possible that Hikaru and Zero are in Kaminejima Island!" Geo said as he stated his hypothesis. "We might as well conduct our search there as soon as possible before the Britannians do. Otherwise, we're going to get caught up in another fight with them."

"Hang in there, Hikaru!" Lantis thought to himself as Geo ordered the helmsmen to engage full speed ahead to their next destination.

* * *

As Lloyd and Cecil went onboard the Avalon, they were able to successfully secure the Lancelot in its hangar. Prince Schneizel appears before them. Despite his regality, Schneizel doesn't expect himself to be address formally by his subjects too often. When Schneizel appeared from the shadows of inside the Avalon's hangar, he approaches the Special Corps members.

"So Lloyd, did you get any data from the Magic Knight's Knightmares?" Schneizel said out of curiosity. "I do have an extreme interest on how they operate their machines!"

"Well, I did managed to gain some analysis from my laptop about the Knightmares you mentioned!" Cecil said as she appears sitting on top of the stairs behind the Lancelot.

As Cecil went down from the stairs and showed her laptop to Schneizel, he sees three separate screens on the laptop's monitor. The first screen was showing Rayearth launching fire and lighting attacks, the second screen was shooting out torrents of water-based attacks, and the third one was unleashing powerful wind attacks all over the Shinkene Island Base.

"My, my! So this is what made these strange Knights send our forces running in defeat!" Schneizel muttered in fascination.

"They all maybe young women from Area 11, but we did underestimated all three of them on the battlefield!" Lloyd smirked weakly. "That reminds me, did you try to use the Gawain on them again?"

"Yes, but the Gawain still needs some adjustments with the Hadron Cannons mounted on both of its shoulders!" Schneizel acknowledged. "Despite the cannons being its main weapon, it still didn't do enough damage to the Cephirians and the Magic Knights yet. Nevertheless, I do may need your help in finding my sister Euphy, Lloyd."

"Why certainly, your highness!" Lloyd acknowledged before turning his attention towards Cecil. "Cecil, please take care of everything at the base while I'm gone, okay?!"

"Where are you both going?!" Cecil asked, blushing a little after Schneizel smiled at her.

"We are going to use the Avalon to look for Suzaku and Euphy," Lloyd said, answering Cecil's question.

"Wait, about the order to sacrifice Suzaku to destroy the Magic Knights and Zero, where those orders made by the Prince?" Cecil asked sternly.

"Silence!" General Bartley ordered. "You don't want to be contempt with royalty, do you?!"

"My apologizes, Lady Cecil. Those orders we're actually mine!" Schneizel said, admitting his actions recently. "I also gave out the order to fire the Hadron Cannons. Even when cornered in a situation where the enemies surround you, priorities must be remembered. Even if something anomalous occurs, we would still be able to rescue Kururugi after eliminating all other threats; that's what I gambled on. After all, he is Suzaku Kururugi, Knight of Euphy and ace pilot of the Lancelot from the Special Corps. Other than that, I did gamble on tactics to subdue and capture the Magic Knights aiding Cephiro's armies."

"Yes, my lord!" Cecil replied while standing up for attention. "I'll apologize for my rudeness and will accept any punishment you think is fair."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Schneizel calmly said in denial towards Ms. Croomy. "I still bear the responsibility for not protecting my subordinates. So, please forgive me."

After Schneizel finished his speech, he turns arounds before leaving Cecil with the Lancelot. Feeling lost by the 2nd Prince's responses, Cecil gets the feeling that Schneizel went a little too easy on her.

* * *

After treating Hikaru of her injuries, she and Euphy disrobed all of their clothes and shoes to dry off, before they both went to take a bath in a nearby lake in the forest, letting the warm water caress their bare skin and all the way up to their bare chests. As for Lelouch, he sits behind a tree and doing his best not to take a peek at either of them. As Hikaru took off her braid, her long ragged hair started flowing behind her back, much to Euphy's delight. The moment Hikaru dipped into the lake, she could feel a bit of stinging pain from her treated injuries for a few seconds before it started soothing. However, the flame knight did not hesitant in letting the water cool off her burns.

As both girls continued to bathe in the lake, Lelouch starts to ask Euphy about her hunch earlier.

"How did you figure it out?!"

"When you ran into me during that hotel jacking..." Euphy replied before Lelouch summarized it all from the previous night before.

"I see. It seems that I said too much impulsively!" Lelouch pondered.

"What did he say to you, Euphy?" Hikaru asked, curiously as she turned towards the Princess.

"Well Hikaru, it's like this..." Euphy replied as she discussed her flashback towards the Knight of Fire.

* * *

Flashback:

 _Back at the hotel at Lake Kawaguchi, after Zero and the Black Knights put down the JLF led by Josui Kusakabe, the masked hero came face to face with Princess Euphemia, who wore civilian clothing while undercover. When the JLF found out about Euphy's true identity, the JLF attempted to turn her over to Josui only to find him commit suicide. Unknown to them however, Zero used his Geass on their commander to do it. After Zero announces Euphy as Sub-Viceroy of Area 11, after Clovis relocated himself to another area, she makes her response to the masked figure in person._

 _"It's not an appointment I'm happy with, is it?!"_

 _"No, it's because Clovis ditched Area 11 only to venture into another world, leaving you in charge during his absence." Zero acknowledged. "I never did have to chance to deal with him myself at the Shinjuku Getto._ _He already made a mistake in carrying out the death of a thousand Elevens there!"_

 _"So what you going to do about it, huh?!" Euphy retorted. "Still try to go after him in a strange new world?"_

 _"No, I still have my hands full on other stuff in Area 11!" Zero replied. "Eventually, I'll find him out there. When I do, I may bring him to justice."_

 _"Why would you?!" Euphy asked sternly._

 _"Because Clovis is an offspring of the Emperor himself!" Zero responded as he pulled out his gun towards Euphy. "Speaking of offspring, you're one of his children aren't you?"_

* * *

After several more minutes of Euphy explaining her flashback to the Fire Knight, Hikaru couldn't help but realized that Zero, as Lelouch, said too much about Clovis and the Emperor.

"I see. Come to think of it, you actually risk your life for the commoners regardless of their ethnicity?" Hikaru asked Euphy, who is leaning her back against the rocks while bathing in the lake.

"I...well, I have no intention of helping Cornelia carry out her Royal duties her own way," Euphy added in. "I do like the way you are Hikaru. You look really beautiful in that hairstyle."

"N-No I'm not!" Hikaru blushed in embarrassment as she touched a bit of her long hair with her left hand. "I just want to be myself."

"It's alright, you look really pretty either way. If you're too embarrassed to be seen like that, then I promise I won't tell anyone about it," Euphy smiled while she held her arm over Hikaru's shoulder, while sitting right next to her in the lake. "Though, I can't say that I'm jealous. So tell me, are you really fighting for the New World or are you just trying to protect the people that you love?"

"I prefer both of them," Hikaru replied calmly.

As she looked down on herself while feeling Euphy's hands on her shoulders, Hikaru looks at her own reflection, as well as Euphy's reflection simultaneously. While turning to face Euphy while smiling at her, Hikaru is starting to see something different in Euphy's eyes, something to it than what the other Elevens negatively thought of her. After a few seconds of silence, Hikaru's eyes started watering again.

"If only I'm able to protect my parents back then..." Hikaru sniffed, as she let her tears fall down on her face. "Even my brothers couldn't stop thinking about them."

While Lelouch hid behind the tree, he couldn't help but feel sorry for Hikaru too after hearing what she told Euphy.

"I'm able to speak with your parents earlier, Hikaru!" Euphy said while sympathizing the Knight of Fire. "I promise to let them both go so that you and your brothers will see them again."

"But how so?" Hikaru said while tearing up.

"You'll see, but for now just don't worry about it!" Euphy acknowledged. "I don't blame you for trying to get back at the Empire. However, I'm sure that one day, I'll be able to change everything that the Britannians did in Area 11, in my own way. Believe me, it won't be like what happened seven years ago. I can promise you that."

"Are you sure?" Hikaru asked while wiping her tears way from her face.

"Certainly. Just try to be patient as much as possible until when the time comes," Euphy continued.

"Thanks, Euphy!" Hikaru replied as she made a weak smile upon the Britannian Princess. "If you knew Lelouch was Zero, why didn't you mentioned any of this to Cornelia?"

"She never listens to me anyway." Euphy said while looking up to the sky. "No matter. One day she will have to think twice before denying me of any royal decisions I make for the Empire and Area 11. What she did seven years ago was very depressing and even now, nothing has changed yet."

As she lets go of Hikaru of her embrace, she turns her attention towards Lelouch, who is still hiding in the forest.

"So how's Nunnally doing, Lelouch?" Euphy asked, concerning for her youngest half-sister.

"She's still living with me but she's still blind and crippled," Lelouch said, while feeling a bit depressed over Nunnally's condition.

As Lelouch asked about his mother's death towards Euphy, Hikaru gets out of the lake first and disappears into the forest before drying herself up, puts her clothes and her magic glove back on, and ties her hair back up. Feeling a bit better while walking around, Hikaru was able to ignore the minor pain coming from her treated injuries.

 _"I never thought that Euphy was actually this kind enough to help me survive in a place like this!"_ Hikaru thought. _"I'm getting the feeling that she might be a lot more better than Princess Emeraude to start off with."_

When Hikaru makes her way back to the lake that Euphy is bathing at, she hears the Princess feeling relieved that Lelouch is more present now than Zero and that he addresses himself as Euphy's half-brother. Upon listening to this relieving turn of events, Hikaru feel a bit satisfied the way Euphy displays her kindness towards the Knight of Fire and Lelouch.

"So Hikaru," Euphy asked after wiping her tears away out of relief. "When you first came to the New World, what was it like? Why did you accept being a Magic Knight there?"

"I can tell you this: You and Cornelia weren't the only Princesses we were forced to deal with while in battle!" Hikaru responded grimly. "I thought for sure that I can gain that much power to save Princess Emeraude and all of Cephiro. However, it didn't end well because there were still some things that Clef did not tell us yet!"

"Like what?" Euphy asked politely.

"I'll tell you and Cornelia later; only when the time comes!" Hikaru said, not wanting Euphy to push her into it.

Before Euphy could say anymore, she felt her stomach growling.

"It looks like feeling relieved makes me hungry," Euphy said as she slightly blushed to herself, making Hikaru smile a bit.

* * *

After Euphy got out of the lake, dried herself, and put her clothes back on, she and Hikaru met up with Lelouch before foraging for some food in the forest. In a few minutes later, Lelouch started digging the ground with a huge log only to find that his efforts were becoming useless. Despite Lelouch's intent of setting a trap for a wandering animal, Hikaru could hear something rustling in the bushes from several feet away.

"Guys, quiet! I hear something deep in the forest!" Hikaru told the two Britannians grimly as she drew out her sword.

As Hikaru went in front of Lelouch and Euphy, who is holding Zero's cape and mask with both of her hands, the Knight of Fire readied herself when posing her blade up to her right side. Before they knew what was going on, a huge wild boar appeared before them, screeching at the three in a hostile manner. Lelouch was about to draw out his handgun only for it to accidentally fall out of his hand. The boar charged straight at Lelouch before he even had the chance to pick up his firearm. However, in a quick flash, Hikaru jumped up high above from where Lelouch is standing at and performed a downward slash with her sword, decapitating the boar's head, from its body. As a result, the wild pig collapsed dead on the ground. When the boar's head landed on the ground, its blood started coming out of its neck and body. At the same time, Hikaru landed on both of her feet and sheathed her sword before turning around to face Euphy and Lelouch.

Lelouch and Euphy couldn't help but stand there completely shocked, with mouths wide open for several minutes, from what Hikaru had done to the wild boar. As they looked at the Fire Knight in surprise, Hikaru smiled before Lelouch makes his statement towards her.

"Dang! How did you do that?" Lelouch asked, with his eyes widened.

"Let's just say its part of my family's Kendo tradition!" Hikaru said, nonchalantly.

"Wow, you're even more amazing than you look!" Euphy smiled as she clapped both of her hands in excitement.

"Oh, its nothing, Euphy!" Hikaru giggled as she scratched the back of her head. "Besides, I faced monsters in the New World more than once. This won't be any different."

After trading compliments towards each other, Euphy and Hikaru couldn't help but feel pity for Lelouch for not putting in any effort in foraging for food.

"Say Lelouch, why don't you let me find fruit for all three of us?" Euphy asked in a calm tone.

"Manual labor isn't meant for a royal princess!" Lelouch replied, denying Euphy's request.

"Don't worry, Lelouch. I'll watch over her!" Hikaru said with determination. "Just watch over that Boar Meat until we get back."

Feeling a bit shocked by what Hikaru said, Lelouch finds this unbelievable that a knight like her would escort a princess that came from an enemy country. Unable to come up with anymore words, Lelouch sees Euphy and Hikaru went on ahead as he sat next to the decapitated boar.

"I wonder what would happen if Hikaru became Euphy's Knight instead of Suzaku?" Lelouch thought.

After a few hours of finding berries, Euphy was able to gather them and place them on top of a leaf while Hikaru was able to stand guard, incase anymore wild predators started stalking them. When they went back to where Lelouch is, Hikaru was able to drag the dead boar by its legs all the way to the shore. As Hikaru set the boar down on the sand, Lelouch was able to gather some firewood, allowing the Flame Knight to setup a fire with her magic before cutting the boar meat into several slices. For Euphy, she set up a fire stand out of three sturdy brances before Hikaru impaled boar meat with them and hung it over the fire to roast it.

After several minutes of roasting the boar meat, the two Britannians and the Eleven were able to eat some of the boar meat and fruit together while the sun sets from a distance behind Lelouch.

* * *

As for Suzaku and Kallen, the Honorary Britannian disrobed his clothes before he went on a fishing expedition, leaving Kallen tied up, catching salmon with his bare hands. Although she was impressed the way Suzaku was able to catch the fish without a fishing pole, Kallen has no intention of helping out. After catching several fish and roasting them on a small fire, Suzaku was able to eat a few of them on a skewer while Kallen ate them only with her mouth until she feels stuffed. As Kallen leans back behind a log, Suzaku starts his personal negotiation with the Black Knight Ace, despite her stubbornness.

"Kallen, please leave the Black Knights!"

"What, did you just say?!" Kallen said, feeling a bit offended towards Suzaku.

"It's not too late if you stop what you're doing!" Suzaku continued. "I heard that a captured terrorist never winds up with a happy ending!"

"I thought you weren't so bad when Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, and I met you at Ashford Academy, all addressed as Japanese transfer students, with exceptional admissions!" Kallen retorted. "But when we found out about your true colors, you just had to make things very difficult for all of us. Whatever you're offering, I won't accept it! I'm the captain of Zero's Elite Guard and those three Japanese women happened to unify all four countries under their allied banner in the New World. You probably didn't notice about that red Knightmare apart from Rayearth that I..."

"You were in that red-orange Knightmare?!" Suzaku exclaimed

"You heard me! I was piloting the Guren MK-II way back then!" Kallen sneered. "And even if I can't beat you in Knightmare combat, at least I'll have someone to back me up!"

"You don't mean Lady Hikaru do you?!" Suzaku asked, feeling concerned over his childhood friend.

"Yeah that's right!" Kallen smirked. "When I tested her combat abilities with my Knightmare, she almost freaked me out after she threw all sorts of strange, devastating powers at me and disabled most of my weapon systems in less than 5 minutes. You should've seen it!"

"Well, she and I grew up together seven years ago," Suzaku explained, making Kallen gasp. "Ever since Lord Kirihara brought her and her brothers in the Kururugi Residence as their temporary sanctuary, I was suspecting that Hikaru may be just as strongly determined as I am to help change the world from the inside. However, just when I entered the Britannian Army, Hikaru disappeared. The last time I ever heard from Hikaru was when she took a tour around Tokyo Tower, along with her new friends Umi and Fuu. I don't know what happened to them after that big, bright flash engulfed them, but after they reappeared, they've completely changed as if they don't fear Britannia anymore, despite being bullied at Ashford several times before they made friends with its Student Council. I don't know what happened to Hikaru back then but now that the events surrounding her start to unfold just recently and that she and the Magic Knights joined forces with Zero and the inhabitants of the New World, I'm afraid their future with him will soon be their downfall!"

"Why?" Kallen said, glaring at Suzaku. "Hikaru told me that they all wanted to fight for Japan and for the New World; that's the kind of future they're trying to go for after coming such a long way. Well, about your future then?! To live the rest of your foolish life as a subjugated lapdog, an Honorary Britannian, or as the Knight of Britannia's 3rd Princess?! You really are a disgrace to the Kururugi lineage! In fact, the last of Genbu Kururugi's line weeps in failure to protect Japan from Britannia! I'm nothing like you either! The world around Area 11 is wrong and I'm trying to change it with the help of the Magic Knights and their followers! If I don't do this, my brother's death will be in vain; that's my reason for fighting. The Magic Knights all fight for the people they love and will do anything to protect them from certain death! You pretty much betrayed Hikaru even before she knew what was ever become of your backstory!"

"The truth is Kallen, my father never committed suicide!" Suzaku spoke in a grim tone. "I took his life with my own two hands!"

"Then what are you really fighting for, if not Japan or your family?!" Kallen sneered in anger. "Did you really think siding with the enemy is even worth it? What about your friends? You dare threaten to sell out Hikaru and her friends after they're all defeated by the Empire? Does your overall betrayal knows no bounds?!"

* * *

After discarding all of the waste and eaten food, Euphy lies on her back on top of Zero's cape while looking up at the stars in the night sky. As for Lelouch, he sits on top of a nearby rock while Hikaru lays on her back to her right side next to Euphy.

"It's been a very long time when we all gazed up at the stars many years ago!" Euphy muttered, referring to both Nunnally and Lelouch.

"Well, I wish I could go back to living a happy life with my parents without any invasion occurring back in our homeland!" Hikaru thought to herself as she turned towards the night sky. "The night is just so beautiful."

"You really think so?" Euphy asked Hikaru while turning to face the Knight of Fire.

"Yeah! I wish our world will be just as peaceful as the night. What do you think you would do if Britannia hadn't invaded Japan?" Hikaru acknowledged before asking Euphy further.

"I don't know for sure." Euphy said in a soft-spoken tone. "However, I do wish we could all share the entire world without any conflict. Ever since our mother, Lady Marianne, passed away, I couldn't help think about what has ever become of Lelouch and Nunnaly after they were both exiled to Japan."

"Well now that you mentioned it, three years ago, me and my friends have all fought for Cephiro so that everyone can live happily and share the world with all the countries during their days of peace." Hikaru said as she smiled while staring up to the night sky. "When I've been given the opportunity to change the world whatever I wanted it to be, I gave everyone in Cephiro their wish to rebuild everything. Therefore, I let the fate of Cephiro to be determined by the people that love the country they lived in, as well as unifying the other three counties to aid each side-by-side as equals."

"That's really wonderful. How are you able to do it?" Euphy asked, feeling thrilled by Hikaru's success three years ago.

"I was once the Pillar of Cephiro. It's defined as a powerful leader that helps keep Cephiro stable and protected it with the strength of his or her willpower." Hikaru explained to Euphy. "However, before I was able to make my decision, the pillar system denies its user to fall in love with anyone but the land itself. Most of the leaders from the neighboring countries didn't know about this until we met them in person. Now that I got rid of the Pillar System, that rule doesn't affect me anymore. Because of this, I'm able to be with the man I love: Lantis the Magic Swordsman."

"Lantis, huh?!" Euphy said as she smiled at Hikaru.

"So, no matter where I go, I'll always be in his heart, until the end of time!" Hikaru concluded before she was met by a hug from Euphy. "Because I fell in love with him!"

"I'm so happy for you Hikaru," Euphy said, praising Hikaru of her past heroism. "I wish I could have the confidence to do what you could in Area 11. I can't imagine how many amazing things you have done for the people you cared about."

"It's nothing, Euphy!" Hikaru said as she started blushing from Euphy's embrace. "After all, Cephiro did their best to help rebuild Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren too."

"What do you think Lelouch, don't you wish we Britannians and Japanese could live peacefully under the same bright sky, like Cephiro and the neighboring countries did?!" Euphy asked the former Britannian Prince.

"From what Hikaru said about her adventures in the New World three years ago, I guess so, yeah!" Lelouch replied in a calm tone. "I wish we could rebuild our world peacefully without any conflict."

After hearing what Lelouch said, Euphy and Hikaru both fell asleep as they embraced each other in their arms. Lelouch couldn't help but realize that Euphy finds Hikaru's determination way beyond impressed. Though, they still have a long way to go before Britannia can stand down from their invasion in Cephiro as well as their governing over Area 11. He still isn't sure on how Japan and Cephiro will make peace with the Britannians. Who knows?

As the sun rises in the next morning, Lelouch was the first to wake up after sleeping on top of a rock that he was sitting on hours earlier. After taking a stroll around the beach and back, he sees both Euphy and Hikaru wake up with a morning yawn. The moment they both look at Lelouch, he smiled at them thinking that his sister and Hikaru are actually friends now.

"I think I understand why you intervene earlier when I almost face Cornelia in Cephiro," Hikaru said, remembering her last encounter with the Witch of Britannia. "You just wanted everyone to get along since you've already seen enough violence, do you? I bet its because you just want to see what its like living in Cephiro without taking it by force."

"Well, I know Cornelia and Clovis may have shown their ruthlessness on the battlefield, but they're both just doing their duties to carry out our father's will!" Euphy summarized. "After all, they're still part of my family. Not that it matters, I hope someday they'll both come to their senses. It would also be an honor for me to call you my friend."

"I don't see why not?" Hikaru answered cheerfully. "Anyway, what does your father really after when he had the Empire take over Japan?"

"I can't say for sure Hikaru," Euphy replied in a grim tone.

"Maybe someday we'll negotiate with the Emperor of Britannia himself!" Hikaru said with determination as she looked up to the sky.

"I hope so." Euphy acknowledged before changing her subject. "Anyway, how's Clovis doing?"

"He's still in our custody onboard the NSX!" Hikaru replied in a serious tone.

"Can I see him again after we sign in Cephiro's peace treaty?" Euphy asked, showing concern for her brother.

"Only if no one gets in the way again!" Hikaru said as she glared at Lelouch. "Because someone just had to do a sneak attack without warning, making Suzaku fire upon me and my friends yesterday!"

"Sorry about that, Hikaru!" Lelouch apologized as he scratched the back of his head out of embarrassment. "Since the Black Knights are still allies of Cephiro, I should've known that our actions would affect Cephiro's campaign here in Area 11!"

"Well as soon as we get off this island, you've got some explaining to do in front of Clef's face!" Hikaru snorted.

"Anyway, let's go up hill!" Euphy suggested Lelouch and Hikaru. "Hopefully, we'll find a way to contact a search and rescue team from a distance away."

After they're done talking, Hikaru walked up ahead towards the forest with Lelouch and Euphy following her from behind.

* * *

Somewhere in Kaminejima Island, the Avalon landed in an open area surrounded by a couple of trees as several Sutherlands are being deployed after disembarking. In front of the Avalon is a cave seen in a rocky corner. When Schneizel, Lloyd, and General Bartley disembarked the Avalon, they setup their equipment inside the cave, attaching it with cables coming from the battleship and from the Gawain Knightmare.

The Gawain is revealed to be a black and gold experimental 7th Generation Knightmare Frame that is armed with 10 finger-like Slash Harkens and two shoulder mounted Hadron Cannons. It also happens to be the very same knightmare that opened fire upon the Cephirians before rescuing Cornelia and her remaining followers, as well as the one that tried to shot down Zero along with Suzaku, Hikaru, and the Lancelot. However, despite the Hadron Cannons to be its main weapon, the Gawain is still unable to deliver enough damage to its targets due to its incompletion. It's also equipped with a permanent float system, in which allows the Gawain to fly into the sky at will. It's weakness was the Gawain's lack of mobility when fighting against ofter faster Knightmares.

As the three Britannians went inside the cave, accompanied by a group of Britannian Marines, Sutherlands, and Engineers, they approach an archaeological site before them. At the site, there is a huge white door bearing the symbol of Geass, with 4 orange shadings in all four directions touching it. It is also considered to be a Thought Elevator. In front of the door, there is a gold medium-sized Pyramid that has an inscription written in front of it, with a Geass symbol shown in the middle of the writings and below its pointed top.

"A Thought Elevator, eh?!" Lloyd muttered to himself. "I must say, archaeology and paranormal stuff isn't my interest!"

"Why you?!" Bartley snarled. "Show some respect to the Prince!"

"This is way beyond my speculations!" Lloyd continued. "If only we could ask Ms. Cecil about this place..."

"You complain too much, Lloyd!" Prince Schneizel retorted before explaining his father's campaign in the Empire. "My father was interested in the Thought Elevator as well! Isn't that right, General Bartley?!"

"Yes, we were able to find artifacts similar to these from all over the world." Bartley explained in a summarized tone, before referring to the Thought Elevator. "Except for this one! I believe that the real reason why we have invaded all of the countries is to secure and obtain all of these artifacts!"

"So to analyze this ancient, occult data you're going to use the Gawain's Druid System?" Lloyd asked, trying to get straight to the point.

"Absolutely! We called you in to do this!" Schneizel answered in agreement towards the Earl of Pudding.

* * *

Somewhere in the forest above the archaeological site, Lelouch and Euphy make their way up the trail, with Hikaru leading the way. Just when they find themselves nearby an open ground area, Hikaru surveys it from both left and right before confirming their rendezvous to Lelouch.

"Are you sure this is where we'll be able to make contact with our people, Lelouch?"

"I'm positive!" Lelouch replied. "Though once we leave this island, we'll have to part ways with Euphy from here on out!"

"Are you sure?" Euphy asked Lelouch and Hikaru.

"We maybe friends for a short time, but unless both of our sides come to an agreement, our friendship will not save us from any further conflicts!" Hikaru clarified in a summarized tone.

"It's alright, Hikaru!" Euphy replied in a calm, happy tone. "I won't tell Cornelia about this! You have my word!"

"Too bad I'm not a dependable knight like Hikaru is!" Lelouch said, feeling a bit ashamed of his recent failure from yesterday. "The way Hikaru killed that boar back in the forest was way too impressive for me to comprehend."

"Lelouch, please!" Hikaru blushed as she smiled and scratched the back of her head out of embarrassment. "I was just trying help out! After all, even a true knight needs food for energy."

"Anyway, Suzaku Kururugi is meant to do a job like Hikaru did!" Lelouch continued.

"Speaking of which, Hikaru if you were born a Britannian, would you accept me as my knight too or will you go down a similar path just like what you did in the New World?" Euphy asked the Fire Knight.

"Well, I can't say for sure what future will hold for me," Hikaru said, feeling a bit anxious while holding out her pendant with her right hand. "However, when I first met Lantis during my second visit in Cephiro, I thought for sure that I'm fighting for myself. But I knew better than to make a statement like that."

"Was that pendant from..." Euphy asked, upon noticing Hikaru's accessory hanging around her neck, before continuing her statement.

"Lantis gave that to me, saying it was from his mother! My heart couldn't stop loving him, despite what happened to his brother. But he never blamed me for what happened to Zagato. Ever since on that day I rescued him from my alter ego, I know now that it is Lantis who I am fighting for! Therefore, as a long as I have people like him that I'm willing to protect, I'll find a good future that I would live for, until the end of time." Hikaru said as she looked at her pendant and then up to the sky, with tears of happiness coming down from her eyes.

After Hikaru wiped away her tears with her left arm and puts her pendant away, she turned around to face Euphy and Lelouch.

"You're the most interesting Knight I've ever met!" Euphy said, praising Hikaru of her backstory.

"Speaking of Knights, why did you choose an Honorary Britannian as your Knight?" Lelouch asked Euphy, referring to Suzaku Kururugi.

Before Euphy could say anymore, the three started hearing a rustling coming from across the open ground area. In an instant, Lelouch put on his cape and Zero mask before hiding Euphy behind the bushes. As for Hikaru, she hid in an another bush adjacent from the two Britannians before drawing out her sword and charged up her magic glove. The moment Zero (Lelouch) looks up towards the open area, he spots Suzaku coming out of the forest with Kallen Kozuki walking behind him with her hands tied behind her back.

"Suzaku and Kallen?!" Hikaru gasped.

"What are those two doing her?" Zero muttered in shock.

Suddenly, Euphy came out of the bush to announce her presence towards Suzaku Kururugi!"

"Suzaku, over here!" Euphy shouted in relief.

"Princess Euphemia?" Suzaku replied in shock as he and Kallen sees Euphy appear from other side.

Before Suzaku got any closer, Hikaru appeared from Euphy's left and holds her with an arm lock, putting her sword up to her neck. At the same time, Zero popped out and drew his hand gun as he aimed it towards Suzaku.

"Don't move! This girl is our prisoner!" Zero ordered, referring to Euphy while Hikaru keeps her grip tight on the princess.

"Zero! Hikaru!" Kallen muttered in surprise.

Unknown to Suzaku, Zero and Hikaru are both just making an act towards both Euphy and him just to make their escape from the island.

 _"Just play along for now Euphy and I'll let you go!"_ Hikaru whispered in the Princess' ear before turning her attention towards Suzaku.

"I'll take back my subordinate you have there!" Zero announced, making his bargain to Suzaku. "We'll exchange prisoners!"

"Hikaru! I thought I left you for dead!" Suzaku snarled as he tried to approach the Fire Knight.

"Stay back, Suzaku!" Hikaru growled, while still maintaining her grip on Euphy and pointing her sword at Euphy's Knight.

"You really think you'd find Hikaru's actions are cowardly?!" Zero retorted. "Eliminating terrorists no matter the sacrifice! Do you intend to follow this rule and let your mistress die?"

Upon noticing that Kallen is finally free from her bounds, Zero and Hikaru keep Suzaku distracted before the Black Knight Ace prepares to strike from behind.

"Let's face it, your integrity will shatter in no time flat!" Hikaru smirked.

As Kallen grabbed Suzaku from behind, Euphy started shouting at the Black Knight Ace.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"Shut up, you royal puppet!" Kallen snarled as she held Suzaku by both of his arms. "You're useless! You can't even think about yourself or do anything here!"

"HOW DARE YOU?!" Euphy snapped. "YOU CAN'T SCARE ME AND I WOULDN'T CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS TO ME! Suzaku, I command you to fight!"

"WITH PLEASURE!" Suzaku replied as he jumped backwards, making Kallen slam on her back before flipping over behind her.

As Suzaku jumped up forward to where Hikaru and Euphy are at, he makes a spinning round-house kick in mid-air. In a fast reaction, Hikaru lets go of Euphy and block Suzaku's kick with her sword, protecting her face and her left shoulder. The moment Suzaku landed on both of his feet in front of her, Hikaru swung back at him with her sword. However, he jumped backwards and away from the Magic Knight while Zero ran towards next to Kallen before putting his gun away. Just as Suzaku ran up to Euphy, Hikaru went up in front of Zero and Kallen while maintaining her grip on her sword.

"YOU HARD-HEADED FOOL!" Zero shouted.

Before anyone could make any more moves against each other, a large red-glowing Geass Symbol appears on the ground below their feet. As the ground started rumbling, all five people could feel the floor descending into the cavern below them.

Back inside the cavern, several rocks started crumbling from above as a Sutherland started backing away from the Thought Elevator. Just as soon as the ceiling collapsed in front of Schneizel, Bartley, and Lloyd, they see Euphy and Suzaku appear before them, along with Zero, Kallen, and Hikaru.

"Major Kururugi?!" Lloyd gasped as he held his right arm up to his face to avoid having dust in his eyes. "And is that...?!"

As Zero, Kallen, and Hikaru turned around, they see the three Britannians appear from behind along with a squad of Britannian soldiers, all armed to the teeth. But before the Marines could aim and fire at the Black Knights and Hikaru, Bartley ordered them otherwise.

"Don't shoot you fools! Princess Euphemia is with them! Capture those three!"

"Hey Zero, there is a Knightmare over there!" Hikaru exclaimed as she helped untie Kallen from her bounds.

"Perfect! We'll use that as our getaway vehicle!" Zero acknowledged as he hijacked the Gawain, which was stationed next to the elevator.

When several Marines ran up to the platform, Kallen activated a flashing device, blinding their vision temporarily. While incapacitated, Kallen knocked away several Marines physically while Hikaru unleashed her magic at them.

"Flame Arrow!"

As Hikaru's magic struck at the ground a few inches in front of the Marines, it made a small explosion and sent a few of them flying off the platform. Another Marine climbed up the platform on Hikaru's right and drew out his combat knife before he charged at Hikaru. Unfortunately, just when the Marine thrusted his knife towards the Flame Knight, she spun around and dodged the knife. As soon as Hikaru was behind the Marine, she delivered a downward cut, slashing across his back from the back of his right shoulder down to the back of his lower left abdomen. As a result, the Marine collapsed on his stomach with blood coming out from his back.

When Zero went inside the Gawain's cockpit, Suzaku stood there under a state of shock, unable to say anything, much to Euphy's concern.

"This is good. Not only in command, but in full activation too." Zero muttered as he detached the cables coming from outside the Gawain.

After Hikaru took down several more Marines with her sword and magic, Kallen uses an assault rifle that she took from one of the downed Marines and gave out suppressing fire to keep the Britannians at bay.

"Hikaru, it's time to go!" Kallen shouted as she opened fire at the encroaching Marines.

As Hikaru turned to face Kallen, the two women mounted on top of the Gawain's shoulders before it started moving away from the Thought Elevator. The moment Zero powered up the Gawain and closed the cockpit, he couldn't help but notice how lucky he is to obtain such an interesting Knightmare. Unfortunately, he spotted someone very familiar in front of him from the main interface, someone he didn't expect to see again on this island.

"Schneizel?!"

"So, that red-haired lady knight must be the one that Cornelia and Euphy was talking about recently!" Schneizel thought as he noticed the Magic Knight of Fire was accompanying Zero and Kallen. "Then, that masked figure must be Zero!"

"No! Not the Gawain!" Lloyd exclaimed, freaking out that his experimental Knightmare is getting taken away by the enemy.

"STOP THEM NOW! GET THAT MACHINE BACK, WE CAN'T LET IT FALL INTO ZERO'S HANDS!" Bartley barked furiously.

"I'll deal with you next time, Schneizel!" Zero muttered as he grabbed the steering handles.

The moment the Gawain headed towards the exit of the cave, Kallen and Hikaru spotted several enemy Sutherlands and Marines appear from the outside, preparing to fire at them.

"Zero! The Sutherlands are blocking our exit!"

"HANG ON TIGHT, I'M GOING THROUGH THEM!" Zero replied in a metallic voice as he activated the Hadron Cannons. "Disappear!"

The moment Zero squeezed the trigger, the Hadron Cannons fired but only a futile burst of dark-red energy blew up several pillars, unable to do some damage to the enemies outside of the cave.

"Damn, the weapons are incomplete!" Zero grunted in frustration as he took off his mask while inside the Gawain's cockpit.

"METEOR VOLLEY!" Hikaru roared as she summoned a barrage of meteors at the Sutherlands and Marines.

Upon impact, the meteors exploded in a massive conflagration and sending most of its targets aflame! Those who weren't struck by Hikaru's Meteor spell fled with their lives, scared by the explosion's devastating effects.

When the Gawain went out of the cave, Zero and his comrades ran into another squad of Sutherlands! Undaunted by the presence of enemy reinforcements, Zero noticed that the Gawain has another trick up its sleeve.

"It seems that another system is operational!"

As Zero pulled the switch backwards, a pair of green energy wings unfolds on the Gawain's back. Much to Kallen's surprise, the Gawain started lifting itself off the ground. Before they knew it, the Gawain ascended into the sky.

"No way! We're flying?! This Knightmare can fly!" Kallen gasped as she and Hikaru noticed that the ground is getting smaller down below their feet.

"I know right?!" Hikaru grinned in amusement while holding onto the Gawain's left Hadron Cannon.

Zero started laughing out of delight after learning of the Gawain's capabilities other than it's temporary lack of firepower. After the Gawain, Hikaru, and Kallen disappeared into the clear blue sky, General Bartley came out of the cave. In an instant, Bartley wallowed in pity that he and his men were not able to save the huge Knightmare from getting stolen.

"The Gawain, our beautiful prized Gawain!"

"It's just a test model anyway!" Schneizel pondered in a calm tone before turning to face Euphy and Suzaku. "Not that it matters, I'm grateful that you're both safe!"

"Oh, Schneizel, I never thought you'd come and rescue us!" Euphy smiled out of relief as she approached her elder brother.

"Sorry it took so long my dear!" The 2nd Britannian Prince said, apologizing to the 3rd Britannian Princess.

"You're highness, shall we keep to the schedule?" The Britannian officer asked Prince Schneizel.

"Sure thing!" Schneizel acknowledged.

As the officer and two marines approached the Honorary Britannian, the officer starts making an accusation towards Suzaku.

"Major Suzaku Kururugi, you're under arrest for violating military regulations!" The Officer announced sternly, much to Euphy's confusion.

"What do you mean 'under arrest?!' Suzaku is my personal knight!" Euphy shouted in denial. "You can't just..."

Before Euphy could say anymore or approach the officer, Schneizel held on her right shoulder, making her stop.

"We'll deal with Suzaku's case later, Euphy!" The 2nd Prince said as he ordered the sub-viceroy to stand down. "For now, just let them be!"

* * *

As the Gawain was still taking flight above the ocean, Hikaru summoned and went inside her Rune God while in mid-air. The moment Hikaru takes control of her Rune God Knightmare once again, she activates her communicator to contact Geo Metro and the NSX. After contacting the sub-commander, Hikaru has been given coordinates to rendezvous with her comrades.

"Alright Zero, this is where I'll leave you and Kallen!" Hikaru announced to the Black Knight commaders. "We'll meet up with each other later! I have to get back to the NSX!"

"Good luck, Hikaru!" Kallen acknowledged as she sees Rayearth head towards the east before disappearing at a distance.

After Zero notified Kallen that her Guren was recovered by Asahina and Sheeva, he remembered that he ended up using his Geass on Suzaku, unknown to everyone around him.

* * *

Flashback, before Hikaru, Suzaku, Zero, Euphy, and Kallen got stranded on Kaminejima Island:

 _As Zero's Geass told Suzaku to live, the Honorary Britannian closed the humpback cockpit and steered the Lancelot away from the Gawain's scattering fire, taking Zero with him, as he fired a Slash Harken at an unknown target offscreen._

 _For Clef, as he activated his Barrier Shield with the Archwizard's staff, he used its landspinners to move backwards and up the ditch. For Lantis and the Black Crusader, he grabs an unconscious Hikaru with the Knightmare's left hand only for the Flame Knight to disappear in a red-flash, leaving the Magic Swordsman confused and worried for her safety. While Clef's Barrier is still holding up, Lantis used the Crusader's slash harkens to hoist himself out of the ditch and retreated along with Clef's Knightmare._

* * *

"Man, that was such an adventure I had back there!" Hikaru muttered to herself while inside her Rune God. "Though, Umi is going to kill me if she ever finds out what happened to me on that island!"

In just several minutes later, Hikaru and Rayearth spot the NSX in a distance above the ocean, much to the Fire Knight's relief. Wasting no time, Hikaru proceeded to board the NSX before being done with it.


	18. A Knight's True Honor

As soon as Hikaru went into the hangar of the NSX, Umi was the first to appear before her and Rayearth. The moment Hikaru came out of her Rune God and landed on the walkway, Umi immediately hugged the Flame Knight out of relief.

"Dammit, Hikaru! You had us worried, again!" Umi wailed as she place her hands on both of Hikaru's shoulders. "Why is it that every time you tried to back up Zero, you ended up in hot water?"

"Sorry about that, Umi! It was a rough ride back there!" Hikaru apologized, before turned towards, Geo, Clef, and Lantis. "What took you guys so long?"

"Well, we were being intercepted by several more VTOL Gunships while trying to rescue you!" Geo said, feeling a bit disgraced for not rescuing Hikaru in time. "It wasn't a pretty sight since we're running low on Sakuradite Energy for the Cephirian Knightmares and that we're running low on ammunition for the Battleship's gun emplacements. We're sitting ducks out there, so we had no choice but to keep cloaking in order to avoid enemy detection."

"It's good to see you again, Hikaru. Though I must say, you look terrible!" Lantis exclaimed upon noticing that Hikaru has minor burn injuries on all over her young body. "What happened to you?!"

"Let's just say that Euphy was trying to help me recover after that fiasco I had with Suzaku," Hikaru said in embarrassment.

"Wait, seriously?" Umi gasped out of confusion. "Wasn't Suzaku promoted to be Euphy's knight?! If so, why would she be treating your injuries when she is a Britannian Princess?"

"Zazu was right at one point, Euphy is nothing like Cornelia to begin with. She was just trying to convince us that there is still light within the Empire!" Hikaru replied, much to the disbelief of Umi and the rest of her friends. "Wait, where is Fuu?"

"She's resting at the sick bay!" Geo told Hikaru before she and Umi went down to see the Wind Knight.

"Geo, it's time to head back to base for a debriefing with the Black Knights!" Clef ordered grimly. "I'm going to need a long talk with Zero myself!"

"Understood, Master Mage!" Geo acknowledged before issuing out orders to the rest of his crew.

In the sick bay, Hikaru and Umi appear at the entrance to see Fuu having some breakfast on a table nearby her bunk bed. Upon seeing Hikaru again, Fuu could not help but feel relieved again that the Flame Knight is okay. After embracing Hikaru in her arms, Fuu was slow to notice that the Fire Knight has burns all over her body. Without hesitation, Fuu casted her healing spell to vaporize all of Hikaru's burns from her skin and thanking the wind knight in return. After Hikaru told her story upon meeting Euphy at the island that she was in, Umi and Fuu couldn't imagine that Euphy is actually nice enough to become friends with the Flame Knight.

"So, you're to say that Ms. Euphy is actually trying to help us in secret?" Fuu asked, trying to get the full picture on what Hikaru is elaborating.

"We may have faced Princesses that are just as crazy as Cornelia is, but Euphy is a completely different story!" Hikaru added in. "Something tells me that we may need to trust her in order to win back our parents and our former country."

"What makes you think we can trust Euphy?" Umi asked, not feeling confident in what the 3rd Britannian Princess is intending to do. "She might just try to deceive us!"

"What choice we have?!" Hikaru snapped, taken back by Umi's point of view. "Ever since she made Suzaku her knight, I'm getting the feeling that she wanted him to find a better future so that he'll know who he's truly fighting for!"

"You mean just like the time when we we're fighting for Cephiro as Magic Knights from another world and for the people we love?" Umi pondered.

"That and she might have feelings for that Honorary Britannian!" Hikaru wagered.

"Well, if it's true that Euphy may be trying to help us avoid our conflict with Britannia, we might as well try again in having her sign that peace treaty!" Clef announced as he entered the sick bay, much to the surprise of the Magic Knights. "But if she planned to lure us into a death trap, we won't have any choice but to capture her immediately!"

"That reminds me, how's Clovis doing?!" Hikaru asked the Master Mage, referring to one of the Princes of Britannia.

"He's being a bit stubborn and prideful in not giving us any detail about the Britannian Government Bureau and the prisoners incarcerated there!" Clef replied in a disappointing tone. "Anyway, Geo is still trying to pick his brain!"

"Anyway, let's head back to base to resupply!" Lantis told everyone at the sick bay.

Without further a due, the two Cephirians and the Magic Knights let the sick bay to report themselves to the bridge of the NSX. Along the corridors, they see several Autozamian soldiers and Cephirian guardsmen standing by at the barracks and mess hall.

In Hikaru's mind, after socializing with Princess Euphy at Kaminejima Island, she might be able to find another opportunity to halt Britannia's Invasion in Cephiro. Is there any other Britannians out there that might help Hikaru and her friends resolve their conflict in the New World and Area 11? Is there actually a small ray of hope dwelling within the shadows of Hikaru's domain? Before Hikaru could think about it anymore, Mokona and Primera appeared in front of the Knight of Fire making her snap out of her thoughts.

"Hey Hikaru?" Primera asked. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing usual Primera!" Hikaru replied anxiously.

"Pu Pu!" Mokona chirped as he jumped on top of Hikaru's shoulders.

"Do you think we can tour around your school one of these days?" Primera asked further.

"You may both need to wear disguises there so that you won't attract any attention from the Britannians!" Hikaru told the little fairy.

"Oh puw-leeze!" Primera scoffed. "Me and Mokona will still find other places to hide at the school, since we're both small creatures!"

"Well try not to push your luck, Primera!" Hikaru warned Primera. "You're still all outsiders in Area 11, apart from me, Umi, and Fuu!"

Feeling stunned by what Hikaru say, the fairy watched Hikaru head to the Bridge along with Mokona before they disappeared behind the automated doorway.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the Britannian Government Bureau, inside Euphy's office, Suzaku shows up in front of the 3rd Britannian Princess feeling a bit ashamed from what happened at Shinkene Island. The Honorary Britannian also felt a bit confused from his flashback that took place several days ago when they arrested him for violating his military protocols.

* * *

Flashback:

 _"MAJOR KURURUGI! FOllOW YOUR ORDERS!" The Britannian Commander shouted through the "Sound Only" communicator._

 _"SHUT UP!" Suzaku shouted back. "Who cares about them?! I have to LIVE!"_

 _Upon hearing the recording from the speakers in front of him, the Commander turns around to face Suzaku sternly before clarifying on the evidence that was recently recovered from Shinkene Island._

 _"I don't know how the hell you got out of the Lancelot, but you have blew up a golden opportunity to put an end to those terrorists in order to save your life according to this!"_

 _"No way?!" Suzaku muttered in shock. "That was me?"_

 _"What?! Do you have any reason to protest against this evidence?!" The Commander snarled. "Let's face it, this is nothing less than insubordination!"_

 _End of Flashback._

* * *

After a few minutes of silence, Euphy comes up to Suzaku to check up on him after their misadventure at Kamine Island.

"Suzaku, what's wrong? It's not about that fiasco they were accusing you for is it?!" Euphy asked, feeling concerned for her personal Knight.

"I dishonored you, your highness!" Suzaku responded in a grim tone as he handed Euphy his Knight badge. "I'm not worthy to be your knight!"

"If this was because of what happened back there, I'm sure this was all a grim misunderstanding," Euphy said, protesting against Suzaku's guilt. "Besides, Schneizel has already confirmed that there is nothing to worry about back at Shinkene Island!"

"Even so, I can't forgive myself for not bringing Zero and Cephiro's Magic Knights to justice!" Suzaku continued, feeling ashamed for his recent failures. "The thing is, I also dishonored myself in front of those Eleven turned Lady Knights! I killed my father and betrayed them all, but before I fought them in battle, I was never punished for it. Soldiers die and Elevens suffer. I don't really deserve this kind of Knighthood."

"But Suzaku..." Euphy said before Suzaku handed his knight badge to Euphy.

When Suzaku left Euphy's office without another word, she could not help but feel sorry for the Honorary Britannian.

"If Hikaru was able to display her honors as a Knight of Cephiro, then so can Suzaku..." Euphy thought to herself as she held the Knight badge close to her chin as tears fell down her closed eyes. "Oh Hikaru, what should I do?"

In the hallways outside of Euphy's office, Suzaku trotted down the corridors before heading back to Lloyd's ship. As he looked out the windows on his left, Suzaku could not help but think about what Clef and the Knight Elevens told him before double-crossing them at Shinkene Island.

 _"If you were to be a true Knight fighting for a country that isn't your own, just what are you trying to protect right now?"_

In just a few minutes later, Suzaku snaps out of his past thoughts as he sees Earl Lloyd and Cecil appear on his right.

"There you are, Kururugi! We have just received another mission from Viceroy Cornelia taking place at the Kyushu!" Lloyd told Suzaku, getting straight to the point. "They said that the forces of the Chinese Federation are regrouping at Kyushu and are launching massive attacks on Japan, led by a former member of Genbu's Cabinet, Atsushi Sawasaki!"

"What do we do then?!" Suzaku asked the Earl of Pudding.

"We'll head down there with the Avalon and the Lancelot, as well as waiting for orders from Lord Guilford!" Lloyd continued.

"By the way, how did it go with Princess Euphy?" Cecil asked, noticing Suzaku feeling a bit depressed.

"I turned down my knighthood service towards Princess Euphemia!" Suzaku responded in a dark tone.

"What?! But why?" Cecil gasped, realizing that Suzaku threw away his destiny right in front of her and Lloyd.

"Let's not push it, Ms. Cecil! I'm pretty sure he'll find a way to make it up to Euphy later on!" Lloyd told his partner in a confident tone.

As the three went onboard the Avalon, Suzaku couldn't tell if he made the right choice or not. However, he is still unable to understand how did Hikaru gained her own Knighthood when venturing in the New World three years ago. Did she do it out of honor or out of pride? If so, how is it that the natives of the New World felt nonchalant about the three female Elevens being promoted as Magic Knights? In his point of view, there is still some strange things in Cephiro that are still unknown to him.

When the Avalon took off, Lloyd and Cecil went to work on the flight system for the Lancelot inside its hangar.

* * *

At the oceans of Kyushu, the battle rages on as gun fire erupted from the forest all the way to the sea. Despite Britannian's Navy attempting to surround the Chinese Federation, the tide was turning against Cornelia's forces for they were unable to land any of their troops on Kyushu's shores. When the Britannian ships are struggling to hold back the rough waves and the thunderstorms, the Chinese Federation defenses were taking advantage of it by shooting down their ships and Portmans.

In the Kyushu Block, Fukuoka Base, inside the command bridge, there is a tall, slender man dressed in a dark-green formal suit. He had shaved black hair and dark brown eyes. He is Atusushi Sawazaki, the former member of the Kururugi administration. After Japan was defeated by Britannia, Sawazaki fled to the Chinese Federation and has taken command of its forces with the help of General Tsao. When Zero caused the civil unrest in Area 11, Sawazaki took advantage of this by using Kyushu Block as its starting base before carrying out his objective in resurrecting Japan.

As he stood by from the Command Bridge, General Tsao appears on his left. Upon noticing that the weather is in favor of the Chinese Federation, Sawazaki believed that heaven is on their side.

"It won't matter what those Britannian scum throw at us right now! We're going to win this war and take back Japan with ease!" Sawazaki announced to Tsao.

* * *

As the NSX arrived at base, the Autozamian Battleship landed at port. Unfortunately, the Chizetians and the Fahrenians are a bit preoccupied in maintaining their sentry all around the base as their forces stay on guard incase they detected any intruders encroaching their hideout. However, the Princesses of Chizeta and Fahren went out together with an undercover escort, to seek more info from Area 11, leaving the Autozamians hanging around the base alone with a detachment of Cephirian warriors. During their R & R, Zazu picked up another broadcast coming from the News headlines at the Tokyo Settlement. Without hesitation, the young mechanic turned on the speakers before making his announcement to the people in the mess hall.

"Everyone, there is another broadcast being played out as News Flash! They're saying that another force called the Chinese Federation is launching attacks from Kyushu Block to resurrect Japan!"

Upon hearing Zazu's announcement from the speakers, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu ran out from the mess hall, leaving their breakfast on the dining tables, and head straight to the NSX's bridge to watch the News Broadcast.

 _"Atusushi Sawazaki, Leader of the Chinese Federation forces, was Chief Cabinet Minister of the Kururugi Administration in the former nation of Japan,"_ The news reporter announced from the channel. _"After the war of Japan, he fled to the Chinese Federation and is apparently making his move in response to the actions caused by Zero, the Black Knights, and the Warriors of the New World. Is there a possibility that the Black Knights and Cephiro's Knights played a role stir up Sawazaki's actions against the Britannian Empire? Stay tuned, as we are currently investigating in these unexpected current events!"_

After listening to the broadcast on the command bridge, the Magic Knights couldn't imagine what will Sawazaki's try to pull when leading the Chinese Federation in pressing attacks against the Holy Britannian Empire.

"I'm not so sure this guy can be trusted as another ally!" Geo grunted in suspicion. "I mean, what kind of political member from Area 11 would single-handedly gain allegiance to a nation that's not of his own after running off like a coward?!"

"Hey, you should be grateful we were able to win yours, Aska's, Tarta's, and Tatra's allegiance before defeating Lady Debonair when she is at her weakest!" Hikaru retorted. "If we can get his attention in rally his allegiance towards us, we might be able to have a bigger chance in saving Japan from Britannia!"

"Well, his methods are entirely different matter, unlike ours!" Geo continued as he glared at Hikaru. "I mean, something tells me that this Mr. Sawazaki is not being clear on where his political loyalties would really lie!"

"I think Mr. Geo maybe right, Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu added in. "There's still a possibility that he's just being used by the Chinese Federation so that they would move in and cause more conflict with them and us Japanese."

Before Hikaru could say anymore, a female reporter is now on the air as she announces more details on Sawazaki's actions in resurrecting Japan as an independent nation.

 _"Sawazaki's group was working in conjunction with a terrorist organization at Kyushu after cutting off vehicle access from Ponshou and Shishouku! Furthermore, he has gained support from the Chinese Federation at Military District in Myauo. Their occupation is expanding from Kyushu, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, and Ouweta!"_

While the female reporter continued to announce her broadcast about the Chinese Federation and Sawazaki, Hikaru couldn't imagine what will they do to her people after they resurrect Japan, driving Britannia away from its former nation.

"I guess we may not risk letting another foreign country get involved in invading Japan now, would we?!" Hikaru exclaimed, summarizing on what Geo, Umi, and Fuu are all getting at. "I see, they just going to control us, they way Britannia is trying to control us, aren't they?!"

"Exactly!" Umi and Fuu replied in unison.

"If that's the case then, I don't think Sawazaki has any honor in fighting for Japan anymore, despite his role in the Kururugi Administration," Hikaru continued. "It was thanks to Suzaku that the Kuruugi Administration we all know is dead!"

"Hey guys, we're receiving a communication channel coming from Zero!" Zazu announced as he spotted a urgent message coming in from his laptop.

"Put them on screen!" Geo ordered the young mechanic.

As Zazu went to work on his laptop, a huge screen appeared, covering up where the News Broadcast screen was at. When the screen stretched out 800" by 600," Zero appears before the Magic Knights, Clef, Lantis, and Geo.

"Greetings everyone, I do want to apologize for hindering your attempt to have the Britannians sign in your peace treaty at Shinkene Island!" Zero announced. "But we have more matters to discuss before we continue our campaign against Britannia. You all watched the latest News Broadcast, right?!"

"Yes, we did!" Hikaru responded before any of her friends could say anything to Zero.

"I've made my decision with the rest of the Black Knights! We're not going to collaborate with Sawazaki and the Chinese Federation. His methods are not independent!" Zero continued with his announcement. "I received reports from C.C that he was being used as a puppet, just to taking advantage of the rebellion that we have caused in Area 11!"

"So, what do you think we should do to bring honor for Japan than rather rely on a former cabinet member that may try to trick us into resorting to a false allegiance with the Chinese Federation?" Hikaru asked Zero.

"I decided to unify all of Tokyo into an independent nation!"

"AN INDEPENDENT NATION?" The Magic Knights exclaimed in unison.

For Geo, Clef, Lantis, and Zazu, they all stood there with eyes widened with surprise after hearing what Zero just said. Zero's true goal of an independent nation may be easier said than done because it leaves them all wondering: Which countries will accept this kind of accord? Before any of them could say anything to Zero, the masked hero continues his speech on the screen.

"If you girls were able to unify all of Cephiro and its neighboring countries into an independent nation in the New World, we can do the same for our world as well!" Zero added in.

"But Zero, do you have any idea on how many countries the Britannians have conquered over the past few decades?" Clef asked, feeling outraged by such an impossible dream and of disbelief. "We may have been able to succeed in doing so out of our own will, thanks to the Magic Knights! However, this isn't Cephiro! It's not always easy to achieve dreams like that, not even for me. Before I became Master Mage, there was a lot of things I have to learn about magic and about the world of politics around me first, the same thing goes for the rest of the Cephirians."

"Mr. Clef is right, Mr. Zero!" Fuu said, siding with the Master Mage's groundings. "Britannia's Empire is a lot more bigger than Cephiro's Unified Alliance."

"Well, who else is going to try to stand up against Britannia if not for the Black Knights or your Unified allied Countries?" Zero asked persistently. "You all know that there is no turning back because if we don't help unify Japan into an independent nation now, then that someday will never come!"

"So, what should we do now Zero?" Hikaru asked the masked Black Knight Commander.

"Since Rakshata is now ready to deploy your upgrades for your Rune God Knightmares, you and the Magic Knights are to meet me at these specified coordinates!" Zero acknowledged.

* * *

After being rejected to aid her brother during the battle of Kyushu, Euphemia took another detour around Britannia's Art Museum, this time without General Darlton as her personal escort. As she went down the Art Gallery, Euphy could not help but think about Suzaku and Clovis while looking at the portrait of her prince. At the same time, Euphy may need help from Hikaru on how to make up to her losses after Suzaku dismissed himself from being her personal knight. But how can she when Hikaru is one of Suzaku's tedious enemies?

At sunset, just when Euphy is about to leave the Museum v.i.a limousine, she spots a random young girl appear at the gateway calling out her name, making her snap out of her thoughts with Hikaru and Suzaku. Unfortunately, several Britannian security guards caught up to her and attempted to restrain the poor girl. After getting a good look at the woman from the window of the limousine, Euphy suddenly realized that she was actually one of the girls that were being held hostage by the JLF! Just when the security is about to arrest the girl for trespassing, Euphy came out of the limousine.

"Stop! That girl is actually a personal friend of mine!" Euphy ordered at the top of her lungs. "Officers stand down!"

"What? Really, your highness?" One of the guards exclaimed. "But she made a foolish attempt to..."

"I don't care!" Euphy snapped. "Just let me deal with her instead!"

"Y-Yes, your highness!" The officer said as he bowed before the 3rd Princess of Britannia.

With one wave of the officer's hand, the other guards unrestrained the young girl before she stood up before Euphy. As the security guards went back to their posts, the girl couldn't help but sob uncontrollably as Euphy apologized and brought her into the limousine before heading back to the Government Bureau. After treating the girl with hospitality the moment they got there and gave her new clothes to wear, she introduces herself as Nina Einstein towards Princess Euphemia. After discussing what happened during the hotel jacking, Nina couldn't help but think of Euphy as her goddess, much to the Princess' delight.

As Euphy and Nina traded compliments towards each other, Euphy finally found a way to make it up to Suzaku Kururugi. Nina couldn't help but hate herself for not having the courage to thank Euphy for saving her from the JLF. But now that she did, it may be the time to convince Suzaku not to hate himself for the sins that he caused in the past.

"Say, you didn't actually met one of the Magic Knights in person did you?!" Nina asked, feeling afraid about what would the three female Elevens would do to her.

"Actually, I did!" Euphy said as she smiled at them.

"Why? They didn't hurt you did they?! I-I mean, they're Elevens too, just like Sir Suzaku, right?" Nina asked further.

"I just wanted to see them in a better point of view than what my elder sister did!" Euphy replied. "That's when I met Lady Hikaru!"

"She did not try to get revenge on you did she?" Nina gasped.

"No she didn't. I actually saw her seven years ago after Cornelia took her parents away for slavery. I know that deep down, she must've hated herself for not being strong enough to save her family when my people took over her land." Euphy continued. "In her eyes, she just a kind and caring person who just wanted to protect the people she loved. It was during the time I met her in person at the New World and at Kaminejima Island."

"How can you be so sure?" Nina asked shyly.

"She already told me her stories about how she survived in the New World three years ago." Euphy explained to Nina.

After several minutes of explaining Hikaru's story to Nina, she couldn't help but feel thrilled on the path Hikaru took to fulfill her destiny.

"So, what I'm trying to say is, if Hikaru was able to live her life as a true knight to be with the man she loves, then so can I!" Euphy summarized. "Ever since I met Suzaku, I couldn't help but fall in love him of the way he is naturally."

"You mean, you actually find that Eleven Knight an inspiration to your presence?" Nina asked, trying to get the picture while referring to Hikaru.

"Yes, I do!" Euphy said, answering Nina's question. "In fact, I do believe that Hikaru is actually a good person for some honorable reason!"

"If so, then please, I need you to show your goodness and her goodness as well!" Nina begged.

"Thank you, Nina!" Euphy said, acknowledging Nina's request. "I think you and Hikaru did helped me understand something!"

After their conversation, Euphy takes out her cellphone to make a call to Lady Hikaru.

* * *

At the ocean during nightfall, 300 miles west of Fukuoka Base, the NSX was able to reach the rendezvous with Zero's Black Knight Submarine. As the battleship opened up the hatches, the three Rune God Knightmares flew out of the hangar and navigated their way towards Kyushu. At the same time, the NSX shoots out three missiles at the Magic Knights. When the missiles closed in 30 feet away, they broke apart, revealing three Sakuradite Evolutions Orbs. They were glowing in three separate colors: red, blue, and green.

The moment each of the Rune Gods touched them, the orbs were immediately absorbed into the huge robotic Knightmares. As a result, they could feel a harmless magical aura flowing within their veins, as well as the Magic Knights themselves. In an instant, the Rune Gods were transforming into a more bulkier version of themselves, changing a bit of their color, armor, and pauldrons.

As Selece is powering up thanks to his Evolution Orb, his tail gets slightly longer, his dragon wings expanded as they changed into a turquoise blue, and its armor became more sharper with adding dragon spikes on its pauldrons and additional plates on its breastplate, covering up the both of the Rune God's lower abdomen. While Umi could feel her magical aura flowing through her body once more inside Selece's cockpit, she started hearing a faint voice coming from inside her head.

 _"_ **I'm now Selece Omega!** _"_

"How does it feel getting this upgrade, Selece?" Umi asked her Rune God.

" **I feel more stronger and faster than before!** "

When Windam and Fuu touched their Evolution Orb, a bright green-yellow aura started empowering them from the inside. Before Fuu knew it, Windam's Eagle Helmet sprouted horns coming from its back. Both of Windam's wrists sprouted Eagle-like talons and a Eagle Long Bow appeared with its string hanging onto the Green Rune God's right shoulder down to its lower left waist. The Long Bow has a green handle in the middle and made out of strange Hickory Wood, with both of its ends encased with eagle talons. In other words, Windam's embroideries changed from golden to yellow-orange and its armor from green to yellow-green. After Windam finished its transformation, Fuu started its voice coming from her head.

" **I am now Windam Delta!"**

"Delta, eh?!" Fuu smirked with interest. "Let's do it, Windam Delta!"

For Rayearth, his left pauldron transformed into the same to that of his right pauldron. His shield became wider, with two talons jutting out of both of its sides in the middle. As for Rayearth's helmet, it added two flame jets coming out from its back. Rayearth's armour got bigger as it changed color from red to crimson and its embroideries from yellow to vermillion orange. On Rayearth's back, two huge jets of fire spew out than rather just one, indicating that the Red Rune God has gained more mobility than ever before. What's interesting is that both fire jets where shooting out towards the sky than rather shooting down to the ground below him. As soon as Rayearth finished its evolution, he started reintroduce himself while speaking to Hikaru inside her head.

 **"I'm now Rayearth Alpha!"**

"Alpha, now that's something I want to record later on!" Hikaru cheered.

From inside the Black Knights submarine, Rakshata couldn't help but chuckle a bit after seeing all three of the Magic Knights' Rune God Knightmares undergo a complete transformation while in mid-air.

"Quite impressive isn't it?!" Rakshata muttered to herself before speaking to Hikaru from her communicator. "So, what do you think of your new upgrades for your toys?!"

"This feels incredible!" Hikaru responded with delight. "I could feel Rayearth getting more stronger than ever before. You have my thanks, Rakshata!"

"Oh, think nothing of it!" The Developer smirked. "After all, I always enjoy tinkering with all sorts of unique Mechs similar to Knightmare frames as part of my secret experiments! Now you go have some fun with your Magic Knight comrades!"

"With pleasure!" Hikaru acknowledged as she flew forward with Selece and Windam. Before she could say anymore, Hikaru's phone started beeping from inside her pocket. The moment she took it out, Hikaru hears Euphy's voice speaking out to her.

"Lady Hikaru, I may need your help with Sir Suzaku!"

* * *

The moment the Avalon approached the Fukuoka Base 1,000 miles away, Lloyd and Cecil made preparations in launching Suzaku's Lancelot out into the night sky. In retaliation, Sawazaki ordered a full barrage of missiles to target the encroaching Avalon. Just when the missiles hit their target, at first Sawazaki congratulated himself that the Avalon is destroyed. However, after the exploding missiles left behind a huge smoke, the Avalon came out unscathed when the Lancelot activated his huge core Luminous Shields, protecting the ship from damage.

"It seems that the Lancelot's shields have finally improved on the battlefield!" Lloyd grinned with success.

"Major Kururugi, your orders from Lord Guilford are to engage the HQ at the Fukuoka Base in a direct assault!" Cecil announced to the ex-Britannian Knight. "Be careful when using the Float System because it consumes the energy filler faster than it does with the Lancelot's shields."

"Understood, ma'am!" Suzaku acknowledged as he prepares himself to launch the Lancelot out into the battlefield. "Lancelot, launch!"

As the core luminous inside the White Knightmare spins around, the Lancelot hurled himself out of the Lancelot and activated its Flight System, which is mounted on top of its humpback cockpit. At the same time, the Lancelot drew out its VARIS before heading out to battle. Upon detecting the white Knightmare heading their way, Sawazaki ordered the CF gunships to engage the Lancelot.

However, the Lancelot retaliated as it fired its Slash Harkens, destroying most of the gunships that opened fire with their machine guns and missiles. At the same time, the Lancelot dodged most of the missiles in various barrel rolls and blocked some of them with his Luminous shield. After taking down several squads of VTOL gunships with the Lancelot, Suzaku receives a incoming transmission from Sawazaki himself. As the screen pulled up on the monitor from inside the Lancelot's cockpit, Suzaku sees a full image of the ex-cabinet member.

"This is Minister Sawazaki!" The former cabinet member announced himself. "Are you Prime Minister Kururugi's son inside the Knightmare's pilot seat?!"

"That's right! I'm Major Suzaku Kururugi from the Special Corps of Britannia!" Suzaku replied in a stern tone. "Surrender yourself, and I'll spare your life!"

"You wish!" Sawazaki retorted. "Do you really think you can take us all on at once with just your Knightmare?! Why would you fight for Britannia than rather fight for your father's honor and for Japan? I've known him for a long time even before you were born! Yet, you dare to rob Japan of its freedom?"

"I want to see freedom unfold from the inside of Britannia, not like this!" Suzaku replied, referring to the illegitimate interference with the Chinese Federation.

"Are you saying that you're doing this out of selfishness?!" Sawazaki snapped through Suzaku's channel. "Such ideology!"

"No it's not, it is...UGH!" Suzaku protested as he descended his Lancelot from taking flight. Without warning, Suzaku felt a rumble impacting him from the rear.

Before he knew it, the Lancelot was immediately meet with gunfire coming from behind. In just one swift action, the VARIS was blown apart by enemy fire. When Suzaku looked up to see where the gunfire is coming from, he spots several squads of strange Knightmares close in on his position.

The Knightmares used by the Chinese Federation are known to be Gun-Ru's. They're dome-shaped Knightmares painted in a green color with red trimmings. They're armed with shoulder-mounted Machine guns on its top and shoulder-mounted Cannons in its bottom. Despite its weaponry used for long-range combat, the Gun-Ru's lack the ability to excel in close combat due to its lack of proper body limbs. However, since Suzaku is getting overwhelmed by the Gun-Ru's, the Lancelot ran for cover as it started to take heavy fire from them.

As he continued to watch the battle turn against Suzaku, Sawazaki started chuckling underneath his breath.

"That boy still has much to learn about knowing his place in Japan!"

* * *

During their flight towards the Fukuoka Base, the Magic Knights and their recently upgraded Rune Gods meet up with Zero and the Gawain. Upon noticing that their Rune Gods have changed a bit, Zero couldn't imagine what kind of new powers will the Magic Knights may try out on the battlefield.

"So girls, are you all ready to fight for independence and for honor?!" Zero announced from inside the Gawain.

"You bet!" The Magic Knights all said in unison.

"Though, I'm not sure if its right to intercept Suzaku's mission at Fukuoka Base!" Umi protested.

"He may be our enemy, but that's no excuse to disdain him as a Knight fighting for honor!" Hikaru said, denying Umi's protest. "After all, he's still Japanese just like the rest of us are, apart from Zero!"

"If that's true, then I'm sure we'll work something out with Mr. Suzaku in our second diplomatic attempt," Fuu wagered.

"Also, Euphy wanted us to show Suzaku how a true knight displays his or her honor on the battlefield!" Hikaru added in.

"Are you sure about this?!" Umi asked, feeling anxious to see the Honorary Britannian again with the Lancelot.

"We were able to achieve our knighthood before Suzaku did. If we were to help him out just for once, he may find his place in Area 11, whether or not he sides with Britannia!" Hikaru concluded.

"I hope you're right, Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu told her red-haired friend cautiously.

"Let's move out, Magic Knights!" Zero ordered the female Eleven trio. "Our glory for independence awaits us all!"

* * *

Meanwhile at Schneizel's office, the doors opened before Darlton and the 2nd Britannian Prince as Princess Euphemia entered the room.

"Schneizel, may I have access to a private communication line?!" Euphy asked her elder brother.

Just when the Lancelot is about to leave his hiding place with his Energy Shield on, he was met by more continuous fire coming from the Gun-Ru's. Just like that, the Lancelot's shield blew up along with its float system. What's worse is that the Lancelot's energy filler is running out, much to Suzaku's and Lloyd's horror.

"This is bad!" Suzaku thought. "I can't hold them off any longer."

"Suzaku, redirect all power to combat systems!" Cecil ordered from Suzaku's intercom.

"Roger that!" Suzaku acknowledged as he disengaged the Lancelot's factsphere sensors, turning off the light inside his cockpit and leaving behind a glowing red light coming from the interface.

"There's no escape, Suzaku Kururugi!" Sawazaki smirked triumphantly. "Since you're the son of Prime Minister Genbu, I will guarantee that you'll be well-treated as our prisoner!"

"I refuse to surrender!" Suzaku denied. "And besides, I won't forgive myself if I were to mention my father's name! This is between you and me!"

"Then, you are just as foolish, reckless, and stubborn as he was!" Sawazaki sneered.

Before Suzaku could continue his fight with the Gun-Ru's, another screen appeared above him with Princess Euphemia announcing herself from a private channel.

"Suzaku Kururugi! The truth is you and I...well that is..."

"Sorry your highness, but this is not the time for any conversation!" Suzaku replied, not wanting to lose his concentration with the encroaching Gun-Ru's.

As the Lancelot drew out his Maser Sword and cut off several gun-mounted limbs from a couple of Gun-Ru's, Euphy continues with her conversation with Suzaku.

"I hereby command you to love me!"

"Yes your high...wait?! WHAT?" Suzaku gasped in confusion. Just like that, Suzaku became completely shocked by what Euphy just told him.

"And in return, I would love you evermore!" Euphy continued. "They way you showed me your sad eyes, your clumsiness, your stubbornness, and your strength. There is nothing that I hate about you at all!"

"Why are you telling me this?" Suzaku asked while still in a state of shock during his fight with the Gun-Ru's.

"I'm saying this because you don't need to hate yourself of your past sins!" Euphy answered.

"So, you were actually worried about me, weren't you?!" Suzaku thought as he knocked out a Gun-Ru with the Lancelot's Slash Harken. In less than a minute, the Lancelot whiplashed several more Gun-Ru's with its right wrist-mounted Slash Harken, making them topple over each other to their left. "You really are impulsive, especially when we first met, when you told me you were a princess, when you sent me to Ashford, and when you made me your knight. I could not bear myself to argue with any of it. Now that I think about it, there was more than one door that I'm willing to open."

As the Lancelot moved forward straight to the HQ, Sawazaki is becoming more impatient with the incompetence of the Chinese Federation forces.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU IMBECILES?! STOP HIM NOW!" The former cabinet member shouted as he clenched one of his fists.

When Suzaku noticed that the Gun-Ru's are circling around him and the Lancelot in front of CF Headquarters, preparing to finish him off, Suzaku makes one final request to his would-be lover Princess Euphemia.

"Princess if something happens to me, I want you to destroy all of my records and erase any trace of my background so that no one else will know about my fate. I don't want any of my friends to be sad. Just make up some story to cover it all up and please say goodbye to Lloyd, Cecil, and Prince Schneizel for me!"

"Suzaku, don't tell me you're going to..." Euphy gasped out of worry for her personal knight.

"Sorry, Euphy! But I was always stubborn to the very end!" Suzaku spoke, considering himself to be his last words after seeing his energy filler completely drained.

"DON'T DIE, SUZAKU! YOU'VE GOT TO LIVE!" Euphy wailed as she held both of her cheeks with her hands out of horror. "HIKARU, PLEASE SAVE HIM!"

"FINISH HIM OFF MEN!" Sawazaki ordered at the top of his lungs, preparing to take down Suzaku and the Lancelot. "FIRE!"

"METOER VOLLEY!" Hikaru roared from above, as a barrage of meteors rained down on top of the Gun-Ru's that surrounded the Lancelot.

In an instant, all of the Gun-Ru's were obliterated in an instant, leaving behind a circular molten slag of destruction around the white Knightmare.

"What the hell was that?!" General Tsao gasped.

"Sir, we've detected four more unidentified Knightmares coming down from the sky!" One of the CF soldiers announced, upon seeing them from the radar.

"No way?!" Suzaku gasped as he turned around behind his shoulders. "That's..."

In a sudden surprise, the Gawain, Rayearth, Selece, and Windam make their appearance on the battlefield in Fukuoka Base. When another squadron of VTOL gunships opened fire upon the incoming interceptors, Windam Delta repelled their missiles and gunfire away with his Wings of Protection before the Gawain returned fire.

"These people are in my way!" Zero smirked as he fired the Gawain's Hadron Cannons.

After Windam got out of the Gawain's line of fire, its Hadron Cannons finally fired two huge red beams at the gunships, blowing them all sky high. After noticing that the Gawain's main weapons are complete and that the Cannon's beams are able to converge, Lloyd started trembling in horror for not being able to finish its weapon systems. At the same time, Rakshata chuckled a bit that, despite the Gawain being an advance experimental Knightmare, she was able to fully install the Hadron Cannons to its fullest.

As the Rune Gods made their landing in front of the Lancelot, their feet started shooting a small jet of flames, water jets, and small gusts rendering them to hover while moving a bit faster while on the ground. Without hesitation, Umi and Fuu immediately engaged the Gun-Ru's with their upgraded Rune Gods, while Hikaru and Rayearth approached the Lancelot in a calm manner.

When Selece drew out his sword, it started glowing in a blue-fiery aura wrapping around the blade, coming from its hilt. As Umi and Selece made one thrust with her rapier, it shot out a long-range icicle spearhead. Upon impact, it didn't just wrecked the Gun-Ru's, they completely froze in place, along with its pilots, who now turned into frozen corpses. In addition, the ground surrounding the wrecked Gun-Ru's turned into an icy field.

"Agh! T-Too c-cold!" One of the CF pilots shivered before turning into an ice cube from the inside.

Umi wasn't done yet with piloting Selece, she unleashed another new spell that allows her to focus all her water magic into the palm of left right hand. In an instant, the water turned into a frozen solid ball with a small glowing energy coming from inside it before slamming Umi's magic into the ground.

"FROZEN NOVA!" Umi roared.

After Umi smashed her frozen ball of water to the ground, her spell immediately dispersed in a larger circle from where she was standing, leaving behind a surrounding barrage of long ice missiles that struck the Gun-Ru's surrounding her Rune God. Before the Gun-Ru's had a chance to fire upon Selece, they were immediately struck by the encroaching circle of her magic and then blasted away by its ice missiles upon impact.

When another squad of Gun-Ru's opened fire at Umi, she called forth her 5th spell out on the battlefield. Before they could see what was going on, Umi raised both of her hands up to the sky as two water dragons broke out from the surface below her. As both of her water dragons merged into each other, it transformed into a huge one. This time it had water tusks jutting out from its cheeks and wings sprouting from its serpentine-like body. As Umi aimed both of her hands at the second squad of Gun-Ru's, her merged water dragon spell headed straight for them.

"OCEAN WYVERN!" Umi shouted at the top of her lungs as her 5th spell ran right through them, flipping most of the Gun-Ru's off-balance, while those directly in its path were pushed straight into the buildings behind them before exploding upon impact.

When Fuu makes her move upon the encroaching Gun-Ru's, she drew out her Eagle Long Bow with her right hand. Despite not having any quivers on Windam's waist, Fuu used her left hand to summon an enchanted green arrow before loading it onto her long bow. As she stretched out the longbow's string with her left thumb and forefinger while holding onto the back of the arrow and aimed it at the squad of 5 Gun-Ru's, Fuu released her arrow, letting it fly straight at them. When the green arrow closed into its targets, it ignited into a fiery-green aura and transformed into a huge green eagle as it spread its wings out wide and aimed its beak and claws at the Gun-Ru's.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT THING?" One of the Gun-Ru pilots shrieked as he frantically opened fire at the oncoming eagle.

Unfortunately, the green eagle did not took any damage from any of the Gun-Ru's weaponry and instead, it flew right past them in a flash. In just mere seconds, all five Gun-Ru's were ripped apart in two before they exploded into nothingness.

While Umi and Fuu spread out to disperse the attacking Gun-Ru's, Hikaru and the Gawain both stop at a few feet in front of the Lancelot.

"Suzaku, is the Lancelot still operational?" Zero asked, confirming his white Knightmare's current status.

"Zero! I didn't think you and Hikaru would show up here too, along with these Eleven Lady Knights of the New World!" Suzaku announced sternly.

"You may need this, Suzaku!" Hikaru said as she summoned an energy filler with her magic before handing it over to the Lancelot with her right hand.

"Why are you helping me, Hikaru?!" Suzaku asked cautiously.

"It was your princess' request. She wanted me to show you how a true knight displays their honor regardless of his or her painful memories!" Hikaru acknowledged. "About the part where you killed your father, you're not the only one who has reluctantly committed such murder before everything fell apart!"

"What do you mean by that?!" Suzaku asked further.

"I'll explain later, Suzaku!" Hikaru replied. "We'll go on ahead to take down their Command Center. What will you do?!"

"Sorry, Hikaru!" Suzaku denied as he took the energy filler from Rayearth's hands and using it to recharge the Lancelot's Yggdrasil Drive. "You can't always get your wish! I'll be the one to hit them first."

As Hikaru and Suzaku drew out their swords and after the Lancelot is fully charged, they both engaged the Gun-Ru's head on with everything they've got. At the beginning of their resumed attack upon the CF Headquarters, a background song is being played out from the 4th wall.

 _ **Hold on, to that dream!**_

 _ **Tomorrow knows, where and when**_

Back at HQ, General Tsao was able to listen to the open channel from Kururugi when speaking to Zero.

"It's Zero and the Knight Elevens from the New World?!"

"Is that an open channel?" Sawazaki asked his subordinates, getting a positive response in return. "If so, stay on them and find out what they're after!"

 _ **It's true what you believe,**_

 _ **Don't let go, the world will never end!**_

As three Gun-Ru's opened fire upon Rayearth Alpha, Hikaru veered left and right while using her flame-sprouting jets from the Rune God's feet to move around with more speed, just like the Lancelot, to avoid getting shot at. It didn't take that long for Suzaku to notice this, much to the Honorary Britannian's curiosity. Before Suzaku could see what was happening, Hikaru raised both of her hands out wide as she summoned two red balls filled with Fire Magic. The moment she clamped both of her hands together with her Fire Magic, they converge into a huge ball of conflagration energy.

"HOWLING BLAZE!" Hikaru shouted as she unleashed a huge red wolf illusion followed by a powerful torrent of fire in its wake.

As the red wolf charged itself towards the Gun-Ru's, most of them were set aflame before they collapsed on the ground and exploded behind Hikaru's new spell.

 _ **The sunset melts into the deep blue sea**_

 _ **It turns into a crimson shade, a wonderful freefall!**_

 **"** Resume attack!" Sawazaki ordered as he reached his hand towards them on the screen. "Stop them! Stop Kururugi, Zero, and the Knight Elevens!"

Just when several more Gun-Ru's opened fire upon Rayearth Alpha above them, Hikaru charged up her sword. This time, the white flames that came out of her blade turned bright red. With several swings of her sword, Hikaru let loose multiple mid-air red, slashing arcs at the Gun-Ru's, decapitating their armaments and legs, making them immobilized and disarmed all at once.

When the Lancelot charged forward below Rayearth and shot out more Slash Harkens as they decapitated several of the Gun-Ru's cannons into ribbons. Up ahead, Hikaru let loose a "Ruby lighting" at several enemy CF tanks while the Gawain shots down the ones that haven't got caught by her spell with its Hadron Cannons.

 _ **I just want to have the wind, take me far away! (Take me far away)**_

 _ **I've cleared impossible hurdles before**_

 _ **But I know that there's more**_

 _ **And I know I can make it!**_

As the fight raged on, the Magic knights, Zero, and the Lancelot rampaged throughout the entire Fukuoka Base, destroying all CF forces without holding anything back. Due to their efforts, they left behind a trail of destroyed Gun-Ru's, VTOL Gunships, and CF battle tanks left and right. When the Gawain approached the command center and opened up a huge gapping hole in its exterior walls, Sawazaki started questioning his actions.

"Zero, shouldn't you and the Knight Elevens be fighting together as comrades side-by-side?!"

"Sorry to burst through your ranks at a time like this, Mr. Sawazaki!" Fuu replied for Zero sternly. "But if you really are fighting for Japan, why rely on a foreign army from another country to do your bidding in Area 11?! How are you going to pay them back with?! We would accept your allegiance if you stay in Japan after Britannia's invasion!"

"Fuu's got a point, Sawazaki!" Suzaku added in. "I doubt the Chinese Federation is going to get their noses into Japan's independence! You should've stayed for everyone's sake!"

"YOU'RE STILL A CHILD BACK THEN!" Sawazaki snapped in anger. "Bring out the Shogun Knightmare!"

 _ **Who's to blame when it is not the best**_

 _ **That I can achieve?**_

As soon as the Rune Gods and Knightmare Frames entered inside the enemy HQ, they were met by a huge barrage of gatling fire and missiles coming from the shadows in front of them. As they evaded the enemy fire inside the HQ, a huge Knightmare appeared from the shadows. It happens to be a Knightmare similar to that of the Lancelot, except it has a dark-green color all over its body with red linings and with a kensei samurai features on its face. It's armed with a huge gatling cannon with a missile launcher attached to it, mounted on its left arm. For its right arm, the knightmare is carrying a ballista-like cannon on its wrist, which is made out of steel. On its right hand, the Knightmare is carrying a Yari spear. On its back, the knightmare is carrying a dai-katana in its sheath. On its chest, the Knightmare is equipped with a grappling claw that can be used to drag its opponents towards their feet before resorting to a killing blow up close and person. Upon seeing this strange Knightmare appear before all 5 people inside their own Knightmares, they all stared at it in surprise. Before anyone could say anything, Hikaru was the first to ask about the unidentified Knightmare.

"What in the world is that?!" Hikaru gasped in shock.

"That will be my secret weapon in taking back Japan from Britannia!" Sawazaki cackled in amusement. "This is known as the XII Class Shogun Kensei! Developed by the Japanese as an experimental Knightmare Frame. Genbu Kururugi planned to create this to help drive out the Britannian scum away from our country. But since he was killed before Japan was taken over, this Knightmare was never finished in time. So, I had it secured and shipped to the Chinese Federation to have it fully completed. I was about to send this as a little greeting to the Britannian Empire residing in Area 11. But since you jumped the gun here, I think I'll take this for a test drive right here and now. SHOGUN KENSEI, ATTACK!"

 _ **Hold on, to that dream**_

 _ **Tomorrow knows where and when**_

 _ **It's true what you believe**_

 _ **Don't let go, the world will never end**_

As soon as the Shogun Kensei opened fire again, the Rune Gods flew up above the Knightmare and evaded its gatling fire. For the Lancelot and the Gawain, they returned fire with their Slash Harkens and the Hadron Cannons. Just when the Harkens and Cannon fire is about to close into the Shogun, it moved faster than the Lancelot to its right.

"Emerald Typhoon!" Fuu shouted as she threw a gust of wind magic at the Shogun.

The moment Fuu's magic got close to the Shogun, the green Knightmare spun its Yari Spear around in a circle, parrying the spell before he thrusted it at where Windam is. In a fast reaction, Fuu barely had enough time to veer away from the Shogun's spear only for it to nick the sharp tip in Windam's waist.

 _ **Keep trying to believe the biggest part of you**_

 _ **And now you're ready to go!**_

"UGH!" Fuu grunted as she felt a bit of pain in her waist. "Take this!"

In retaliation, Fuu fired another green arrow at the Shogun. However, before the arrow was able to hit its target, the Shogun fired its ballista at its arrowhead, making it explode in mid-air. At the same time, the explosion sent Windam flying backwards before slamming its back on the ground.

Umi and Hikaru make their move as they both charged from both of the Shogun's sides. As they attempted to strike the Knightmare down with both of their swords, the Shogun blocked both blades with its Yari and swung at them with its right end. The moment both Rune Gods backed away, the Shogun unleashed another barrage of gatling fire and missiles at Rayearth and Selece.

The Lancelot appeared on the Shogun's left and fired its Slash Harkens at he gatling, missile cannon. The moment the Lancelot charged forward and attempted to slam both of its MVS on the Shogun, it activated a tower-like red luminous shield. The white Knightmare jumped back when the Shogun made a failed attempt to bash the Lancelot with its luminous shield before firing its ballista at him.

 _ **How much long do I have to cry**_

 _ **Before tomorrow's light, a night full of sorrow**_

 _ **All at once, I find today**_

 _ **I finally hid my limits (Hid my limits)**_

No one saw Fuu got up as she leaped next to the Lancelot and cast a "Wings of Protection" spell to block the incoming fire heading directly at the white Knightmare.

"Fuu! Why would you...?" Suzaku asked the wind Knight as she held onto her wind spell to ward off the Shogun's attacks.

"We knights all have taken an oath to fight for sake of the people we truly loved in all our hearts," Fuu said, immediately answered. "I'm sure you have someone that you're worth fighting for too deep down in your heart as well, Mr. Suzaku?!"

"Well, ever since I met Euphy and how she fell in love with me, I guess you could say that I'm actually fighting for her sake!" Suzaku acknowledged as his face turned slightly red.

 _ **I'm sure that, when you are falling in love**_

 _ **It's just like blinking your eyes**_

 _ **Before you know it, it flies away**_

"There's actually nothing wrong with that, as long as you do the right thing!" Fuu added in. "Ms. Hikaru has Lantis worth fighting for! For Umi, it may either be for Mr. Clef or Mr. Ascot. For me, I've always been fighting for Ferio ever since I met him in the Forest of Silence. My story of how I met that swordsman, is actually similar to your story!"

"Then, I guess we're not so different are we?! Me and Hikaru!" Suzaku grinned.

 _ **I just want to learn how strong I can be**_

 _ **When I'm searching for love!**_

After Fuu smiled at Suzaku and disengaged her protective spell, the Lancelot jumped high into the air above Fuu and leaped at the Shogun with its swords draw to a breaking point. With just one strike, the Lancelot's dual MVS was successfully able to chop the Yari into three pieces before it fell on the ground. But as Fuu launched her "Emerald Cyclone" at the enemy Knightmare, it steered away to its right and launched its grappling claw while aiming it at Windam. However, before the Shogun could grab the Green Rune God Knightmare with its claw, Rayearth bursted through and unleashed another "Howling Blaze" directly into it. Upon impact, the claw exploded as it disintegrate into nothingness.

 _ **Hold on, to that dream**_

 _ **Tomorrow knows where and when**_

In a rage, the Shogun's pilot started emptying its gatling cannon at Rayearth but with little or no damage at all. Thanks to Rayearth's upgraded shield, Hikaru was able to activate an red, electrical barrier around it, improving the shield's durability and defenses. As Hikaru was able to defend herself against the oncoming fire from the Shogun's bullets and missiles, she charged forward with her Rune God, with her shield up front and her sword held next to her waist. In just one quick motion, Hikaru was able to decapitate the gatling cannon and missile launcher with her sword with a fast slashing, horizontal arc.

 _ **My lips, tightly sealed**_

 _ **But you can see it, in my very eyes**_

When the Shogun back away from Rayearth, he drew out his dai-katana from the scabbard on his back. The moment the Shogun's dai-katana has been revealed, its blade lit up in a bright, green light. Before Hikaru even knew it, the Shogun launched itself at the Flame Knight, wielding the dai-katana with both of its hands. Hikaru barely had enough time to block the oncoming blade with her Escudo Broadsword. The Shogun wasn't done yet as he made several more attacks with his dai-katana from all sides of Rayearth. Ultimately, Hikaru was still able to parry against every incoming blade from the Shogun with decent reactions thanks to her mastery in Kendo.

 _ **I traveled down that road**_

 _ **And found a greater love**_

 _ **This time I know it is real!**_

While setting its sights on Rayearth, the Shogun did not see Selece and the Lancelot charged at him from both of his sides with their swords drawn. The moment they both swung their swords at the Shogun, it activated its rotating core luminous shields. However, due to the pressure of both the Lancelot's MVS and Selece's Escudo rapier, the Shogun's shields aren't able to hold up for long. So, the Shogun flipped backwards and landed 25 meters away from the two Rune Gods and the Lancelot.

* * *

As they watch the battle of Kyushu continue from afar, both sides could not help but feel a bit surprised when Zero and the Magic Knights committed a joint operation with the Lancelot while engaging the Chinese Federation at will. For Euphy, she felt even more relieved that Hikaru and Lelouch are able to pay her back by aiding her beloved knight on the field after treating the Flame Knight of her injuries and when helping her brother find food at Kaminejima Island.

"Thank you, Hikaru! Lelouch!" Euphy muttered in happiness as she held the knight badge up to her chest. "I'm not worthy!"

 _ **I've cleared impossible hurdles before**_

 _ **But I know that there's more**_

 _ **And I know I can make it!**_

While Cornelia was engaging the Chinese Federation forces with her Gloucester onboard a Britannian battleship, she couldn't believe on what just happened at Kyushu.

"What?! Hikaru just saved Kururugi?!" Cornelia said in disbelief. "What the hell is she thinking, fighting on our side?!"

* * *

For the Black Knights watching the battle unfold at Kyushu, Diethard confirmed that Zero's plan was to infiltrate Kyushu with just the Gawain while meeting up with the Magic Knights, who were all cloaked underneath Britannia's radar.

"This is very astounding that the Magic Knights would come to Zero's aid after helping them drive Britannia away from Cephiro earlier!" Diethard summarized. "By fighting honorably as Knights they truly are, they will be known from around the world of how they live up to their reputation! Also, knights that are defending their beloved country will be considered an independent, noble cause. Hence, the people that they're defending will be convinced to believe that they would win back their future; that is how we Black Knights want to show what the Magic Knights have shown when the people of Cephiro put away their fears and replace them with the honor they all deserve!"

 _ **But when I got up to the starting line**_

 _ **My legs are frozen with fear**_

* * *

After several sword strikes, magic spells, firing Harkens and shooting out cannon fire at the Shogun, it eventually started to lose its energy filler as its luminous shield slowly faded away and that it's dai-katana was shattered into a million pieces. Seizing the opportunity, the Magic Knights called out forth their ultimate spells before the Lancelot could finish the Shogun off.

"Lighting Inferno!"

"Ocean Wyvern!"

"Emerald Twister!

Simultaneously, a huge conflagration with lighting tendrils, merged and tusked water dragon, and a powerful green tornado-like spell headed straight towards the downed Shogun. When all three spells struck the Shogun, it got blasted straight into the wall from behind as it collapsed into a smoked wreckage. For the Lancelot, he finished the Shogun off the moment it struggled to get back up.

 _ **Hold on to that dream**_

 _ **Tomorrow knows where and when**_

Before the Shogun could fight back, he was met with a clean cut to the head as the Lancelot decapitated it with his MVS. As a result, the Shogun Kensei is defeated by the teamwork of the Magic Knights and the Lancelot. Upon seeing all of this happen right before his very eyes, Zero could not help but grin at their allied victory against the Chinese Federation.

Unaware of the Shogun's defeat, General Tsao and Sawazaki made their attempt to escape the Kyushu Block while using their experimental Knightmare to keep them distracted. As they reached their helicopter by jeep, a flying Escudo sword was thrown straight at the cockpit, disabling the aircraft and killing its pilot, much to Sawazaki's horror.

 _ **Reach out with both your arms**_

 _ **And take the key that opens up your heart**_

When the Lancelot jumped up in front of Sawazaki and the CF General, the Gawain appears above the white Knightmare.

"Sawazaki, that's far enough!" Suzaku said from inside the Lancelot.

"What the?! But what about the Shogun Kensei?!" Sawazaki shrieked.

"You mean this piece of junk?" Hikaru clarified as she appeared behind the former cabinet member, along with Selece and Windam.

Before they knew what the Flame knight was getting at, Hikaru dropped the severed head of the defeated Knightmare right in front of Sawazaki's feet.

"NO! T-They took down the largest force in all of Kyushu, along with Genbu's experimental Knightmare Frame?!" Sawazaki screeched, realizing that he has been defeated.

"Face it, Sawazaki!" Hikaru shouted angrily at the former cabinet member. "Your independence for Japan right now is dishonorable!"

* * *

 _ **Hold on to that dream**_

 _ **Tomorrow knows where and when**_

On the next day, after the Gawain and the Rune Gods left the area and leaving Suzaku and Cornelia to leave Sawazaki in their own hands, the reporter makes her broadcasting announcement all over Area 11.

"The terrorists lead by an anti-government in the Kyushu Block was intercepted by Princess Cornelia's sudden attack! Atushi Sawazaki and four other members of the former Japanese Government are arrested. About half of the Chinese Federation troops were captured as well. Despite the recent events at the Kyushu Block, the leaders of the Chinese Federation have all agreed that Sawazaki's acts are declared unauthorized and have issued an order to have the Britannian Empire to hand over all of their POWs to them."

 _ **It's true on what you believe**_

 _ **Don't let go the world will never end**_

As the Avalon safely landed at the Government Bureau landing pad, Suzaku appears before Princess Euphemia as he makes regal bow towards her.

"Warrant Officer Kururugi reporting for duty!" Suzaku announced, as he display his formal response to Euphy.

"Suzaku, welcome back!" The 3rd Princess smiled.

"Is it true? Did you really send Hikaru to back me up?!" Suzaku asked, showing his concern for what the Flame Knight did last night.

"Yes, I did. Well, when Hikaru told me about how she met Lantis and was able to fall in love with him, despite her sins and her tragic tales and all that, I actually learned something from her." Euphy nodded. "There's no need to live in the past anymore. I wanted to do this just so that we can live together and be happy, just like the way they did in the New World."

"I never thought of that!" Suzaku said in embarrassment.

"Therefore, it's what my heart honestly said to me!" Euphy concluded.

After a few seconds of silence, both Suzaku and Euphy started chuckling together.

"Other than that, I just wanted to see Hikaru and her people smiled again!" Euphy added in. "I can assure you that Hikaru's wish was actually the same as my wish. So, will you help me find happiness? Will you be my knight?!"

As Euphy handed over Suzaku his knight badge, he finally understood what Hikaru has really been through in the New World.

"Yes, your majesty!" Suzaku replied in a positive tone.

The moment Suzaku politely took his knight badge from Euphy's hand, he was immediately met by a kiss from the Princess up to his lips while embracing him in her arms. Feeling the comfort from Euphy, Suzaku felt paralyzed by such romantic behavior. After a few seconds, Suzaku ended up kissing her back, making Euphy's heart started to soar as the song ends.

 ** _Keep trying to believe the biggest part of you_**

 ** _And know you're ready to go!_**

* * *

From a distance away somewhere in a nearby forest, Hikaru was able to see clear view of what was happening between Suzaku and Euphy while outside of Rayearth Alpha. Upon seeing them kiss each other through a magic bubble, Hikaru couldn't help but smile at both of them as a tear fell out of her eye as she closed them for a bit. In her theory, after Hikaru opened up her eyes and wiped them with her right arm, Suzaku may actually be able to find his place, not just amongst Britannia, not just amongst Area 11, but also deep within his heart.

"I guess there is nothing Suzaku, Lelouch, and I can't do together in both worlds!" Hikaru thought as she made the magic bubble disappear into thin air.

As Hikaru went back inside Rayearth, she disappeared deep into the forest and went back to base.


	19. Festival Interlude

It has been three days since after the attack upon the Kyushu Block. Shortly after the Magic Knights made a truce with Suzaku to stop Sawazaki's foolish terrorist act against Britannia, Euphy issued a temporary ceasefire towards the Empire's forces fighting against Cephiro's Alliance, much to Cornelia's dismay and Schneizel's pleasure. However, it didn't change the fact that Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Suzaku, and Lelouch all have a lot of studying to catch up on due to skipping out school. In fact, they were forced to make up all the homework that is overdue for the past several weeks. Furthermore, their teachers threatened them that if they don't make up for lost time, all five students will be forced to repeat their semester next year!

Upon learning that the four Elevens and the Britannian student has a lot to catch up on, the Black Knights and the Cephirian followers insisted on watching very closely to Britannia's inner activities all around Area 11. Throughout those three days, there has been rumors within Area 11, claiming that if Kururugi can move up towards a better future as an Eleven, than so can they. However, other Elevens claim that Kururugi is just being used as a slave by the Empire only to maintain a foolish declaration of peace.

As for the Magic Knight Elevens and the forces of the New World of Cephiro, some say they're just going to enslave all of Area 11, like the Chinese Federation would, as well as ditching the Black Knights. Others claim that they're only here to put an end to the fighting and away from the New World. Despite all the gossiping in Area 11, the undercover Cephirian soldiers did their best to keep a low-profile while eavesdropping on what they can learn about the Britannian Empire, through the eyes of the Elevens. So far, several Cephirians have infiltrated the Britannian Government Bureau as undercover soldiers and nobles in disguise.

After finishing up all of their studying at the Ashford Academy, the Magic Knights met up with Geo, Aska, Sang Yung, Qiang Ain, and Tarta in the alleyways nearby to go over what they discovered so far.

"So Ms. Aska, how does it feel hanging around in our world?" Fuu asked the Fahrenian Princess.

"It may not be as enchanting and peaceful as Fahren is, but at least we can learn more about what you and your friends have all been through here!" Aska grinned in an excited tone.

"Not to mention all of those buns and pastries that Aska scarfed down from that Bakery back there!" Qiang Ain jeered as he glared at the princess with disappointment in his eyes.

"And that she almost spent the entire loan that Fuu gave her just recently!" Sang Yung added in, showing concern over his mistress.

As Fuu giggled, Aska couldn't help but smile embarrassingly.

"Sorry about that, Qiang!" Aska apologized sheepishly. "Those steamed meat buns are so tasty and rich. I couldn't resist!"

"It's alright, Ms. Aska!" Fuu smiled. "Just try to resort to self-control next time."

"I was stressing myself out after Tatra got drunk at this one dance club down the street!" Tarta grunted in frustration. "What's worse is that she almost got entangled with those idiot, drunk Britannian muggers while out on the dance floor. If it weren't for my hand-to-hand martial arts, they would've kidnapped her while Tatra was intoxicated!"

Upon hearing it, Umi almost laughed her head off thinking that the Elder Chizetian Princess would make a silly scene out of herself just to have Tarta resort to violence before saving her.

"Anyway, I took Tatra back to the Bravada with the aid of an escort before doing some shopping at this one fashion boutique filled with all sorts of dresses and jewelry." Tarta added. "Those topaz and ruby necklaces were so shiny, I couldn't stop staring at them inside those jewelry cases at the counter. It isn't until some female Britannian noble came up to me for a street brawl after accusing me for taking out her husband, which was one of the thugs that I attacked in the Dance Club earlier."

"God, Tarta!" Umi cackled in amusement. "You sure have a way of picking fights with random people, just like when you made fun of Kallen of her ethnicity!"

"DON'T REMIND ME!" Tarta shouted in embarrassment. "That insane she-devil almost scared the living crap out of me when she pinned me to the ground. But no matter, I'll show her someday!"

"Really?! Well, did you ever think about using your Djinn against Kallen's Knightmare yet?!" Umi snickered, making Tarta even more flustered.

"Not yet!" Tarta grunted. "I can't wait to how it will play out!"

"Speaking of Knightmares, are you okay not having any of them to commandeer at will?" Fuu asked both Aska and Tarta.

"Fuu, I'm still too young to operate those mechs, you know!" Aska said in disagreement. "Besides, my illusions are already powerful enough to crush those Britannian bullies to a pulp!"

"We may lose our ability to summon our Djinns if that happens!" Tarta explained towards the Wind Knight. "However, there is always the first time for everything. So, I may need to have our royal guards resort to the use of customized Knightmares bearing the Chizetian Emblem very soon if not for us."

"Yeah, same here!" Aska thought to herself.

"Not to worry everyone, I'm sure Rakshata will be working on it. But for now, just lay low in Area 11!" Umi told everyone.

"By the way, Rakshata was able to develop three new Knightmares for Presea, Caldina, and Lafarga!" Geo announced as he took out his PDA from his pocket.

As the virtual, small screen appeared from Geo's PDA, it was showing three unique, individual Knightmares: One that's brown, one that's yellow, and one that is turquoise blue.

When the Magic Knights, the three Fahrenians, and Tarta looked closely at the screen from the PDA, they all stood there speechless by such awesome designs.

Presea's Knightmare happens to be a cross between two Knightmares used by the Britannians and the Four Holy Swords, known as "Smitherite." The head and torso was similar to that of a Gekka, while the legs and arms assembled from that of a Gloucester. It's pauldrons and tungsten armor are painted in a light-brown color, embroidered with yellow linings. On the back of its dark-brown cockpit, it bears the Cephirian emblem painted in yellow linings. On its right arm wrist, it is mounted with a long-barreled, semi-automatic cannon. On its back, behind its right shoulder, the Knightmare is carrying a Long Sword in its sheath. On its waist, the Knightmare has a small warhammer held onto its side holster. Lastly, Presea's Knightmare's Slash Harkens are mounted on both sides of its waist.

Caldina's Knightmare was customized into a unique Vincent-like Frame called the "Dancing Siren". Tossing away its detachable MVS, the Illusionist's Knightmare is now equipped with two huge Assassin daggers that are retractable and hidden underneath both of its wrists. When they're both drawn, the Assassin Daggers can be held onto its grip as if it was used like a Sutherland's Stun Tonfa. For its legs, they're both equipped with retractable short blades coming out of its feet. For the rest of its features, the Dancing Siren has red and black jewels all over its yellow and pink tungsten armor and has a red cape mounted on the back of its cockpit, along with a pink ponytail coming out from the back of its head.

As for Lafarga's Knightmare, it happens to be a unique Lancelot design that is painted in turquoise Blue Tungsten, Sakuradite Armor called the "Lancelot Blitz". Unlike Suzaku's Lancelot, it is equipped with a long, scimitar-like, two-handed MVS that emits a turquoise-blue hue when drawn out from its sheath. For its defense, the Lancelot Blitz is equipped with an inbuilt blue-grey luminous Tower shield that is activated from inside the cockpit. On both of the Blitz Warden's shoulders, they're both equipped with a Spear-like Slash Harken that can impale its targets with ease.

After taking a good look on all three newly designed Knightmares, the Magic Knights felt even more relieved that more of their friends will be there to assist them in battle. They all fell silent under a state of shock with their mouths wide open, thinking that they may gain a good advantage against Britannia later on. However, because Euphy has declared a ceasefire after the battle at Kyushu, there may not be any chance for Presea, Lafarga, or Caldina to test any of them out. Upon noticing their reactions, Geo started snickered with delight.

"I know right?!" Geo grinned. "You guys should've seen the look on Zazu's face when I've shown all of this on the monitor back at the NSX! He couldn't stop hyperventilating out of excitement."

"Well, I'm sure Ascot needs a Knightmare Frame too in Area 11 incase something happens to his pet beasts!" Umi suggested for the Commander of Autozam.

"I still haven't forgotten that he is still vulnerable out in the open, just like the time when I held him by the tip of my rapier in demanding the release of my friends!"

"Ms. Umi's got a point, Mr. Geo!" Fuu said, supporting the Water Knight's claim. "It will be a matter of time before Mr. Ascot gets cornered by the enemy when being exposed on the battlefield."

Upon hearing what Umi and Fuu said, Geo couldn't imagine if one of Britannia's Knightmares would sneak up behind the Palu Summoner, unaware of its presence.

"That will be Rakshata's next project, along with Sir Commander Topaz!" Geo told the Magic Knights.

"Did you guys get any inside sources on what the Britannians are up to next?" Hikaru asked the leaders of all three allied countries from the New World.

"Not yet, Hikaru!" Aska replied. "Hopefully, we'll be able to end our war with them here as soon as Princess Euphemia gives out the word."

"So, how's Sir Suzaku doing?!" Sang Yung asked the Flame Knight. "He did not try anything funny yet, did he? Not after you helped him stop the Chinese Federation from conquering Kyushu and Area 11?!"

"Not yet, but we'll still keep a close eye on those two, now that Viceroy Cornelia is off duty!" Hikaru said in a confident tone. "Anyway, they'll be hosting a school festival at Ashford Academy tomorrow morning. This time, not only will they be celebrating Suzaku's honorable knighthood and victory against the Chinese Federation, but they'll be letting more people than just the Britannians themselves to attend the event."

"Like who?" Geo, Aska, and Tarta asked in unison.

At the start of a new day, fireworks exploded up into the clear, morning sky as President Milly Ashford makes her announcement from the PA room at Ashford Academy.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you for waiting! The Ashford Academy School Festival is about to start!"

In the Control Booth, Shirley, Nina, and Nunnally are there by Milly preparing to carryout their duties at the Festival as members of the Student Council.

As Milly turned to face Nunnally, Nina handed the blind girl the microphone to start the biggest school event with a special broadcast.

"MEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOWWWWW!" Nunnally announced as her voice has been heard from the public speakers all over the campus.

Upon hearing Nunnally's broadcast, the students started cheering before they went to their designated areas in the school festival. There were all sorts booths deployed outside on the school grounds, ranging from food stands to mini games. Several of the students are dressed up in various costumes, including cosplays of the Lancelot and Arthur. Those that weren't providing food at the stands are passing out fliers, reports, and photos of famous people such as Zero and Prince Clovis. On the right side of the school entrance, a huge dome-like stove is seen from a mile away. By the order of the Festival Chairman, which is none other than Lelouch Lamperouge, they'll be using the huge stove to prep and bake the world's largest pizza in Ashford Academy.

While under new disguises, Aska, Sang Yung, Tarta, and Tatra make their way to the school courtyard to observe people taking autographs of the Lancelot cosplay, much to their excitement.

The Fahrenian Princess replaced their regal empress outfit with a sleeveless dark-red, elegant floral dress with huge pink sunglasses covering up her eyes. As for her hair, Aska ordered her fashion designers to redo it with a cobra bun, with red pins stuck on it. As for Sang Yung, he replaced his original outfit with an orange lycra costume, bearing red embroideries and linings. As the two young Fahrenians left the Dome of Fahren, they left Qiang Ain to watch the ship while out attending the Ashford School Festival.

When the twin Princesses of Chizeta came to the Festival they replaced their royal outfits with much more unexposed appearance. Tarta is now wearing a yellow T-Shirt with red linings and beige female slacks. As for her feet, Tarta replace them both with a pair of red high-heels, with a small pink diamond attached to its top. As for Tatra, she's wearing a white jacket with a yellow tube-top underneath it. For her legs and feet, Tatra replaced her white, yellow long skirt with white shorts and yellow linings, along with a pair of pink shoes and long yellow socks reaching up to her knees.

Geo Metro did his best not to attend the Festival with Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu because he still has to work on tuning up his GTO with Rakshata's aid. However, he did setup his monitor to watch over the School Festival from afar while onboard the NSX.

As Aska and Sang Yung ran into a Britannian Hot Foods booth, Mokona popped out in front of them and went to go look for Hikaru while disguised as a brown rabbit. At the same time, Umi, who's now wearing a female school Ashford uniform, spotted the white Fluff ball making an attempt to steal someone's lunch at the Festival Food Court. Before Mokona got any closer, Umi snuck up to him and pounced on the white ball of fluff by her stomach, making him squeal with a loud "Pu" noise.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!

At the same time, Mokona startled two female Britannian students who were trying to eat lunch together. While holding down on top of Mokona, Umi looked up to see both of the student stare at her with their eyes widened with confusion.

"Sorry about that guys!" Umi apologized, feeling a bit embarrassed from what Mokona almost did as a big drop appear on the left side of her head. "This little runt just needs to learn some manners!"

Before Umi could say anymore, Mokona squeezed out of Umi's grasp down to the skirt of her school uniform and went up to her undies again. Just like that Umi screamed like a maniac again, just like what happened at the Residential Quarters in Cephiro's Castle three years ago.

"MOKONA! I AM GOING TO TURN YOU INTO A ROASTED MARSHMALLOW!" Umi screeched as she chased after the white fluff ball with a fishing net held with both of her hands.

During the chase all over the Food Court, the Britannian Students were all laughing their heads off as several of them fell on their back at the same time.

While Aska was eating several buns, she and Sang Yung couldn't help but grin at Umi's wild chase. As for Primera, while disguised in a long-sleeved pink dress and big hat with flowers on it, she smacked herself on the face out of embarrassment after seeing Mokona humiliate Umi again in the public, while standing on two legs. Before Primera went out with Mokona to attend to the Festival, she casted a spell on herself to hide her fairy wings so that no one would suspect that she's an outsider in Area 11.

"Oh geez, that ball of fluff never learns!" Primera scoffed in a quiet tone.

As the twin disguised Princesses of Chizeta toured around the school festival, they see the students taking autographs from Suzaku Kururugi, before he went to prep the biggest pizza at the kitchen. Upon noticing that the former citzens of Japan kept showing up at the School Festival, the two Chizetians couldn't imagine that the number one enemy of the Black Knights and Cephiro's Alliance was actually famous amongst both Britannians and Elevens.

"Say Umi?!" Tarta asked the undercover Knight of Water. "I thought for sure that this school is only reserved for Britannians!"

After grabbing Mokona by its ears than rather with her fishing net, Umi makes her reply towards Tarta as she noticed that various Elevens were showing up by the hundreds.

"Well, it seems that because of Suzaku's actions in the Britannian Empire, more Elevens were pinpointing him as a ray of hope despite Britannian's cruel occupation in the former nation of Japan!" Umi suspected. "Maybe I'm wrong about assuming that he's making a bad example in front of our own people."

"Really, now?!" Tarta asked suspiciously. "I wonder if I'll settle in a diplomatic agreement with my Djinn dueling against his Lancelot, just to stand down from our war against Britannia?!"

"Don't push your luck, Tarta!" Umi warned the Chizetian Princess sternly. "You still have to keep a low-profile here! After all, there's no tolerance for any violence upon the school premises!"

"Yeah, whatever!" Tarta gruffed.

On the other side of the school festival, Fuu and a disguised Ferio made their way towards several mini game booths. As they both had fun participating in several games, ranging from bonking on people's heads with a toy mallet, squirting water guns at moving targets, and mini-archery, Fuu could not help but smile and giggle, much to Ferio's admiration over his girlfriend.

At the balcony of the school building, Hikaru was standing there as she looked down upon the School Festival. Upon noticing that most of her friends are having fun while attending the festival and that more of her people were at the festival too, Hikaru never felt so happy in her life that Suzaku was able to gained the respect he deserved, despite being her enemy and rival on the battlefield. Before Hikaru went down to meet up with her friends, Suzaku appeared from behind. After staring at each other for a couple of seconds, the two Eleven-turned rivals felt a nervous upon facing each other again after their previous battles between both of them. Before Suzaku had a chance to say anything, Hikaru makes her private speech in front of the Honorary Britannian.

"So Suzaku, how far are you going to go as Euphy's Knight?" Hikaru asked, making Suzaku a bit anxious. "If you weren't Euphy's Knight or an Honorary Britannian, what do you think you'll be doing instead?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Suzaku replied, with a small smile on his face. "Other than that, how did you unify all of Cephiro to fight by your side as an honorable Knight in the New World?!"

"What I learned from all four countries, despite their feuds amongst each other, is that they actually had a wish to live in a beautiful peaceful world, living side-by-side without fearing each other!" Hikaru summarized.

"And let me guess, you and your friends granted them their wish?! Suzaku asked curiously.

"We Magic Knights happen to be a living legend destined to save Cephiro from destruction," Hikaru added in. "But we also faced an unforeseen tragedy when we assume we could save the very one that made us who we are right now!"

"Who?" Suzaku asked before Hikaru gotten to the point.

"When I said that 'you weren't the only one who has committed such murderous sin', it's like this!" Hikaru continued before explaining how her Cephirian Knighthood started off as. "Princess Emeraude choose us to become Magic Knights only to beg us to kill her before saving Cephiro from destruction and war!"

"Seriously?" Suzaku gasped.

"You heard me, Suzaku!" Hikaru replied. "Well, we weren't proud of this because it was the wrong decision to start off with."

"Then, I guess we're not so different are we?!" Suzaku pondered, remembering on how he killed his father seven years ago. "We just had to kill someone very important in the country they reside in before everything nearly fell apart, didn't we?!"

"Exactly!" Hikaru exclaimed. "But it's all in the past now, over and done. Despite what happened to Princess Emeraude, the Cephirians actually believed that we would protect them and save their beloved land from utter chaos and annihilation. We were never punished for Emeraude's death because it was actually her wish to be with the man she loves in the afterlife. As of now, we we're able to succeed fulfilling our destiny in the New World without any regrets!"

"I can't help but feel a bit jealous on how you made history in the New World!" Suzaku told Hikaru. "Well, I probably wouldn't find a better future out there in Area 11 if I were to be anything but a Knight of Britannia."

"How do you think you're going to make it up to Tohdou and Kallen after they found out about your true colors?" Hikaru asked Suzaku.

"I'm not so sure yet!" Suzaku replied. "Other than that, it won't matter what you throw at Cornelia or her men. Sooner or later, you will have to submit to her and the Imperial Family just to spare the natives of the New World from going to war out there! Furtermore, Tohdou and Kallen do need to stop their fight with Britannia at some point!"

"Really?!" Hikaru said, feeling taken back by what Suzaku is elaborating. "Well, I already gave Clef and Lantis their word! I won't betray Cephiro, not by a long shot!"

Upon hearing Hikaru's determination for the New World, Suzaku stood their speechless for a few minutes before continuing his conversation with her.

"Well, what about Euphy?" Suzaku asked further. "Did you see her as an enemy at first sight before she requested your aid against the Chinese Federation three days ago?"

"Not exactly!" Hikaru said, feeling a bit nostalgic after meeting the 3rd Imperial Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire. "She reminded me of myself when we failed to capture Cornelia in Cephiro."

"Then, you might as well start with Euphy's submission first, they way I did!" Suzaku suggested to the Knight of Fire. "Just think about it!"

After Suzaku finished his conversation with Hikaru, he went back inside the building as he made his way down to the school courtyard. As for Hikaru, she runs into C.C in the school hallways.

As for C.C, she dressed herself up in a female school uniform before heading out to get some pizza during the event, which happens to be her favorite food. Despite her overconfidence in blending in, Lelouch has been wary of what will happen if the press or the Britannian Military ran into her. Ever since Lelouch met the green-haired witch at the Shinjuku Getto, C.C was being used as an experiment for Code R by the Britannians recently. For long time, C.C vowed to stay by Lelouch to fulfill her contract, regardless on how much heat she is stirring in Area 11.

"So Hikaru, are you still anxious that Suzaku became one of your greatest rivals in this Britannian-Cephirian War?" C.C asked, making the flame knight flinch. "Despite him being your childhood friend from the past?!"

"You really have bit of nerve picking my brain too often!" Hikaru scoffed before referring to Suzaku Kururugi. "Well, I'm still not sure what will ever become of this fierce rivalry with that Eleven Knight! Anyway, what are you doing here?!"

"I heard that they'll be bringing out the biggest pizza in the school festival today!" C.C replied. "I just need to ask Lelouch of where in the school will it be taking place in."

"Hikaru, there you are!" Lantis said as he appeared behind the flame Knight. "Where have you been?!"

As Hikaru turned around, she spots Lantis now wearing a white hooded sweater, with a black T-shirt under it, black pants, and grey tennis shoes.

"I was just checking to see how my friends are doing outside before heading out to the school festival." Hikaru responded as she made a small smile.

"Well, I was worried about you running into Suzaku again when I noticed that he went up the stairs for awhile heading your way." Lantis added in.

"It was nothing, Lantis!" Hikaru said, while sweating underneath her breath. "Anyway, how did you enjoy this School Festival?"

"I wish it was this peaceful back in Cephiro after the war between all four countries!" Lantis thought.

"Say, why don't we go have fun outside?!" Hikaru asked with delight as she held onto Lantis' hand.

After Lantis nodded, Hikaru went with him, leaving C.C behind as she made her way outside from another exit before meeting up with Lelouch.

"I must say, even Hikaru and Suzaku both became enemies they still have an issue in doubt on what allegiance will they really fall under!" C.C muttered to herself before disappearing into the School Festival.

The moment Hikaru and Lantis went to the School Festival together, they made their date all around the campus before meeting up with the others to see on how they're doing.

As the School Festival went on, Ohgi appeared at the main entrance while feeling a bit nostalgic. Right next to Ohgi, is the very same grey-haired woman that was hanging around him ever since she lost her memories, despite her recovering from her injuries at the docks. After Hikaru left Ohgi to tend to the woman who may happened to be Viletta Nu, the Deputy Commander is slowly having a good relationship with her. Instead of addressing the woman as Viletta, Ohgi winds up calling her Chigusa However, Ohgi is still contemplating in deciding to hand her over to the cops or hospital staff or injecting her with Refrain to help regain her memories. On the other hand, Ohgi's decisions may blow his cover for he is still in service with the Black Knights.

Upon taking a good look at Ashford Academy from outside of the entrance, it reminded Ohgi that, before he became part of the Japanese Resistance and then joining the Black Knights, he used to be a school teacher until the death of Kallen's brother, which happens to be one of his friends from the past. Without further a due, Chigusa insisted on taking Ohgi with her to the School Festival to meet up with one of the members of the Black Knights. Ohgi felt hesitant of attending the School Festival due to his Eleven citizenry. However, the Britannian students disregarded it, saying that the campus is open today. As Chigusa and Ohgi went into the School Festival, they ran into Hikaru and Lantis while having lunch on one of the picnic tables at the Food Court. Chigusa went to do some minigames at a few booths nearby, while Ohgi went up to Hikaru to make his report on the woman that he recovered from the other day. When Hikaru and Lantis finished their lunch, they went with Ohgi to a nearby corner to have their private conversation.

"So, how's everything with that Brit woman?' Hikaru asked Ohgi as stood next to the Flame Knight.

"Everything is going fine. Though, I'm nowhere near in getting her memories back!" Ohgi replied in a whispered tone.

"Is that so?" Hikaru pondered. "Well, how about handing her over to Clef? He may have some spells that will jolt her memory down!"

"I'm still a bit nervous on what to do with her, now that she has gotten closer to me! I mean, I'm not sure if that's going to work either, he might end up killing her by accident." Ohgi said in anxiety. "For some reason, I can't really do it! I might put myself and the other Black Knights at risk!"

"Well, there may not be any easy way to do this, Ohgi!" Lantis said, sternly. "You may need to take risks in order to expose the truth behind that woman's backstory, whether you like it or not!"

"Lantis is right!" Hikaru added in. "There won't be any holding back when you have to face your fears at a time like this!"

"I'll do my best guys!" Ohgi replied, anxiously. "For now, we'll keep this quiet!"

After Ohgi left the corner to meet up with Chigusa, Hikaru and Lantis couldn't help but think if Ohgi is going to help expose Chigusa's memories or not. While Ohgi and Chigusa went inside the school and stumbled into the Horror House, Hikaru and Lantis ran into Mokona and Primera who were both watching Umi participate in the "Dom Dom Hammer" booth. Much to Hikaru's and Fuu's amusement, Umi was bonking on the student's heads with a toy hammer as they popped up from the holes inside the booth in such a zealous manner. For the students stuck inside the booth, they let behind all sorts of "grunts" after getting bonked on the head by Umi Ryuuzaki.

"Take that! And that!" Umi shouted while having fun with.

"At least its better than taking it out on Mokona!" Hikaru thought to herself.

Behind Umi, Cecil, who was next in line, couldn't help but snickered at the blue-haired girl. As for the guards escorting her, they just stood there nonchalantly, unaware that Umi is one of the Cephirian Knights protecting the New World during the war outside of Area 11.

After bonking on the students' heads for three more minutes, Umi loses her stamina and takes a breather before handing the toy hammer to Cecil.

"Man, that was fun!" Umi cheered to herself before meeting up with the rest of her friends. "Just had to be another way to vent out stress from dealing with Mokona!"

Meanwhile on the other side of the School Festival, Princess Euphemia, who is now wearing a red hat, sunglasses, and different clothes as a disguise, makes her way through the school campus to find Lelouch to discuss an important matter with him and the Magic Knights of Cephiro. Behind Euphy, she is escorted by two Britannian Agents who were also disguised as regular civilians. Earlier, before Euphy attended the festival to meet up with Suzaku, she makes a request to Prince Schneizel in his office. Upon reading Euphy's paperwork, Schneizel has accepted her request, saying that the 3rd Imperial Princess should follow the path that she believed in with her own heart.

While remembering her approval with Schneizel, Euphy unwillingly ran into Sayako and Nunnally, making her snap out of her past thoughts with her brother. Upon being reunited with her younger sister, Euphy went to the Lamperouge Residence to catch up on old times.

As for Hikaru and her friends, they made contact with one of their Cephirian Collaborators inside one of the empty classrooms inside the school. He goes by the name Wexulus. When he appeared at the entrance in front of the Magic Knights, Wexulus was seen as a young man in his mid-20s with brown hair and yellow eyes. He was wearing a green long sleeve shirt with a golden collarbone and grey ragged pants, making him cleverly disguised as a lowly Eleven.

"Wexulus, do you have anything to report in Area 11?" Ferio asked the collaborator.

"The Glaston Knights have came back to Area 11 after their campaign in Area 18!" Wexulus informed the undercover Cephirian Prince. "Prince Schneizel of Britannia is making some secret negotiations with the other warring nations outside of Area 11, such as the Chinese Federation! He's monitoring all of Area 11 as its Prime Minister. So, it may be hard for us to work underneath his radar when he has eyes all over Area 11!"

"Don't engage anyone here!" Ferio ordered Wexulus. "You're likely going to get captured before you even see what was coming."

"Understood, my lord!" Wexulus acknowledged as he bowed before the young prince of Cephiro. "Also, they're working on strengthening their army before launching another attack upon our country. If we attack the Britannian Government Bureau, they'll be sending in enemy reinforcements in 48 hours, along with a fleet of bombers at their command!"

"Then, we won't have much time once we engage the Britannian Army at the Bureau!" Lantis warned Wexulus grimly. "We may need to gather as may soldiers as we can from the Gateway at our hideout before we launch our final attack upon them!"

"Don't forget, Lantis!" Ferio reminded the Magic Swordsman. "We do need some air support from our allied ships to keep them at bay, while our forces make their way through the battlements at the Tokyo Settlement!"

"Well, what do we do if we ever ran into Cornelia or her Commanding Officers?!" Umi asked, feeling a bit cautious about the enemy presence at the Bureau.

"We might as well capture or neutralize them at will!" Lantis suggested. "Once we engage them in the final battle, their won't be any turning back!"

"I'm sure our parents are there too, waiting to be rescue!" Hikaru said, feeling determined in saving her mother and father from Cornelia.

"We still need to be a little bit more patient, Hikaru!" Lantis told the Flame Knight. "It's suicidal to declare a charge without knowing where the enemy will be holding their ground at!"

Before anyone could say anymore, Mokona appeared at the window making a lot of excited "Pu Pu" noises. As Hikaru went up to the white fluff ball, Mokona's mouth started drooling all over the window sill, with his eyes bugging out straight at the glass frame.

"Mokona, what did you see?!" Hikaru asked, as Umi and Fuu ran up to her from behind.

As the Magic Knights looked out to see the window from inside the school, they spotted a huge crowd of Britannian students and Elevens gathering before the upcoming main event in the Festival. After taking a good look at what's going on from inside the classroom, the Magic Knights all gasped in shock as they realized that they're preparing to pass around the biggest food dish ever. Without hesitation, the Magic Knights have all left the classroom to attend the School Festival's main event, leaving behind a bunch of confused Cephrians, Fahrenians, and Chizetians.

"What has gotten into those girls?!" Ferio asked, feeling a bit confused on where this is heading.

"I don't know! But I've got a good feeling that we're going to have the most biggest lunch EVER!" Aska cheered in a very high pitched voice. "OH HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO!"

As Aska's gloating echoed throughout the hallway, she ran out to where the Magic Knights are heading with Sang Yung following her from behind.

"Lady Aska, wait!" Sang Yung yelped as he tried to catch up with his mistress.

"Alright everyone, we are about to begin the moment you've all been waiting for!" Rivalz announced as he dressed himself up with a Chef's hat and apron, covering up his school uniform. As Rivalz make his appearance, he is seen standing on top of the huge stove while watching the crowd below him.

During Rivalz announcement through his mike, colorful smoke started spewing out from behind.

"We are about to perform a huge historic task in making the world's largest pizza! Please note that this contraption is built with a substantial waste of money!"

While Rivalz continued with his announcement to the crowd, the Magic Knights appeared behind the group of people as they all listened closely on what is going on. As for Aska, she was making all sorts of excited fussing over the pizza while Sang Yung tried to hold her by the waist, preventing her from getting anywhere close it.

"Ooooooooo, Pizza!" Aska said in an excited tone while waving both her arms and legs vigorously. "I can't wait to scarf it all down! Let me at e'm, Sang Yung! Let me at e'm!"

"Easy there, Lady Aska!" Sang Yung said, trying to calm the excited Princess of Fahren down while restraining her. "You definitely don't want to eat too much. Remember what Qiang Aing told you about self-control over such food?!"

Upon seeing the two Fahrenians struggling against each other over the biggest pizza up front, Fuu couldn't stop laughing at Aska despite her overly, excited behavior.

"Oh, Ms. Aska!" Fuu snickered while putting her hand over her mouth out of amusement.

At the same time, Mokona was about to ran up to the stage to get that pizza. However, Hikaru and Umi leaped on top of the white fluff ball and restrained him in order to avoid blowing its cover.

"It's looks like all the ingredients are prepared." Rivalz said as he descended from the stove and landed on both of his feet on top of the stage. "Now, introducing our special dough tosser: The Ganymede!"

When the huge beige cloak is tossed aside, the Ganymede reveals itself next to Rivalz as a 3rd Generation Prototype Knightmare Frame with blue tungsten platings, extensive arms, and an open-topped cockpit with a light-blue interface. Before she passed away, Lady Marianne the Flash used to operate the Ganymede as its test pilot before handing it over to the Ashford Academy. Upon seeing the Knightmare appeared before them in front of the huge stove, the entire crowd cheered while Rivalz continued his announcement.

"It may be an antique, but the one who's controlling the Ganymede right now is a member of Ashford's Student Council and Princess Euphemia's personal knight, SUZAKU KURURUGI!"

As Suzaku appeared inside the cockpit of the Ganymede, he takes control of the Knightmare by using its two hands to spin the huge pizza dough above his head. While Suzaku does his performance in front of the crowd, Kallen and Sayako both held onto the Ganymede's huge battery plugs to make the 3rd Generation Knightmare run smoothly.

While Hikaru continued to watch Suzaku spin the pizza from a distance away, while holding Mokona with both of her arms, she still remembers more about what the Honorary Britannian told her before he went to operate the Ganymede during the School Event and after requesting her to accept Euphy's submission.

 _"Ever since she made me her knight, Euphy is actually giving me a chance to show the Elevens that there is still hope in Area 11. For that, they revere me as an inspiring presence. You could still do the same too, if you accept Britannia as a would-be knight!" Suzaku said, while making a convenient suggestion towards Hikaru._

 _"Even so, I don't know how will my Cephirian friends will think of me now if I were to do what you did!" Hikaru protested. "When I first met the people of Cephiro, they're afraid to get anywhere near me, Umi, and Fuu. It's bad enough that they had to put up with dealing all those monsters that were wreaking havoc in their villages. I don't fear the Britannians when fighting back in Area 11."_

 _"And why not after they took over our country?" Suzaku asked. "Why resist them seven years later?!"_

 _"Because fear is what makes our enemies stronger without delay!" Hikaru answered immediately. "We Magic Knights have already learned about this in Cephiro because it is also known as the Land of Will. When people become victims of fear, it makes the enemy powerful. However, we were able to convince them not to fear our enemies, starting with their children first for instance. When we fought with Lady Debonair in the final battle, me and my friends were able to prevail because they all found the courage to believe in us. Second, that witch was actually the dark manifestation of the hearts of the frightened Cephirians. As long as we have people rooting for us, there won't be any battle out there that we cannot win! We already explained all that to Zero when he requested ours and Cephiro's Allegiance before going to war in Area 11; that's why he wanted our miracle to become a reality in order to create his own miracle!"_

 _"If I didn't know any better, I would've thought that you already went down the journey towards knighthood first before I did!" Suzaku thought._

 _"So what I'm saying is, we don't fear the Britannians anymore because they'll just try to take advantage of us even more than they already have!" Hikaru concluded. "What about you, Suzaku?! When you first joined the Britannian Army, do you fear them at first hand before yielding to their cause?"_

 _"Yes and no!" Suzaku answered nervously. "I don't have anywhere else to go after I left Tohdou's School. So, I wished to change the world from the inside of Britannia in order to fight against my own fears and my personal demons!"_

"Can it get any larger than that?!" Rivalz shouted with encouragement. "Come on Suzaku, we had high hopes for you!"

As Hikaru snapped out of her thoughts with Suzaku, Lantis came up to her with a small smile on his face.

"So Hikaru, are you still concerned with Suzaku after everything that happened?" Lantis asked the Flame Knight.

"Maybe not, Lantis!" Hikaru said in a cautious tone. "I mean, ever since Euphy fell in love with him, I think Suzaku may have gained the respect he deserves for most of the other Elevens and the Britannians, unlike us."

"It's alright Hikaru, we all have a different way of gaining the pride that allows us to live through the age of darkness and conflict!" Lantis told his red-haired girlfriend. "I'm sure someday we'll find a way to work something out with Viceroy Cornelia, despite your horrible past with her seven years ago!"

"Hey! Is that Princess Euphemia?!" Shirley shouted out loud from a distance away after she saw a long pink-haired woman next to Lelouch and Nunnally.

At the same time, the entire crowd that was watching Suzaku spin the pizza dough heard what Shirley just said as they all turned around to see what was behind them. On top of the stairway, they spotted the 3rd Imperial Princess of Britannia. Somewhere within the crowd, Nina also got a wind of Princess Euphemia's presence in the school. Upon recognizing the Princess, despite her non-regal clothing, the Britannian Students were all excited to see her, along with the Hi-TV crew.

Back at the stop where the Magic Knights and their friends are hanging around, they also heard that the 3rd Britannian Princess appeared in the School Campus, making Hikaru and Lantis put their conversation to a halt.

"What the?" Hikaru gasped, as she saw the Britannian Students made their attempt to get Euphy's autograph making her eyes widened with shock. "Euphy is actually here?"

"I don't believe it!" Umi exclaimed. "What is Princess Euphemia doing here?"

"Ms. Euphy?" Fuu said in shock. "How did she get in here?"

At the beginning of such an excited uproar, Euphy tries to back away from the encroaching crowd as her bodyguards and escort units tried to intervene. As for Lelouch and Nunnally, they both ran off to a nearby booth to avoid getting caught up in the immediate orientation by the other Britannian students.

"So that pink-haired woman is Princess Euphemia?" The disguised Princesses of Fahren and Chizeta all whispered in unison.

"No way, I thought she'd be a lot more formal?" Aska thought.

"A Britannian Princess? Here in this school?" Tarta gasped in confusion.

"Oh my!" Tatra exclaimed in excitement after seeing a clear view of Princess Euphemia. "She looks gorgeous!"

"Don't get any ideas, Tatra!" Hikaru told the elder Chizetian Princess. "We cannot blow our cover here!"

Upon noticing that the crowd is dispersing and heading towards Euphy, Suzaku stopped his dough spinning and ordered them to stop immediately. However, in failing to do so, Suzaku loses control of the Ganymede as the pizza dough came flying off both of its hands and landing right on top of a nearby tall tree left of the School's Entrance. From the balcony, C.C saw what happened to the pizza dough as she stood there with a plate on her hands in a depressed manner.

"Pizza!" C.C muttered in grief.

As soon as the excited crowd got closer, Euphy's guards, Cecil, and agents appeared while making an attempt to disperse them from getting anywhere near the Princess.

"EVERYONE STOP THIS FOOLISHNESS AT ONCE!" Cecil shouted as the guards drew out their stun guns and surrounding the Princess. "Euphemia is also known as the Sub-Viceroy of Area 11!"

However, the crowd refuses to back down as they wind up overwhelming them all while the Hi-TV crew makes their attempt to have Euphy make her speech on the reporter's mike. At the same time, Mokona spotted something heading their way from behind.

"PU! PU! PUUUUUU!" Mokona screech as he tried to tap on Hikaru's shoulders vigorously.

"Mokona, what did you...Uh Oh!" Hikaru asked as she turned to face where Mokona. Just like that, Hikaru gasped as she sees more Britannian students came out of the school and headed right for them while trying meet Princess Euphemia in person.

"Everyone! Scatter!" Hikaru shouted at the group.

Upon hearing Hikaru's orders, the Magic Knights and their friends split up after seeing more of the Britannian students close in on their position. Sang Yung and Aska went inside a nearby classroom bring them a bottle of tea for the Fahrenian Princess to drink while looking out the window to where Euphy is at. Tarta and Tatra went behind the Hot Foods booth before peeking out to see where Euphy is at. However, they could not see Euphy anywhere as she and Cecil got buried within the crowd. As for the Magic Knights, they all split up and hid behind several booths before looking at where the crowd is at.

Before Euphy has any chance to hear herself out in front of the crowd, the Ganymede appeared from behind and, with Suzaku regaining control of the old Knightmare antique, it picked up Princess Euphemia with its right hand. As a result, the Magic Knights and their friends were finally able to get a full glimpse of Princess Euphemia, who is right up to the level of the Ganymede's cockpit.

"Princess Euphemia, you're not hurt are you?!" Suzaku asked, showing concern over his mistress.

"I'm fine!" Euphy replied in a confident tone. "Thank you, Suzaku!"

As Euphy turned around to see her surroundings above the Ganymede, she spots Hikaru and Lelouch from a distance away, confirming that they're both doing fine in the school.

"Hikaru! Lelouch! I'm so glad you're both doing okay!" Euphy thought as she smiled at them.

"HI-TV! Down here Princess. Can I get a statement please?!" The female reporter asked the Princess of Britannia.

"Can you broadcast this network nationwide?" Euphy asked the reporter in a determined tone of voice. "I have a very important announcement to make!"

Just like that, Diethard, Guilford, Geo and Cornelia have all received a broadcast from Princess Euphemia herself. As they and the rest of the Magic Knights and friends listened closely to Euphy, she begins her announcement in the public.

"I wonder what is Euphy going to say during her announcements?" Hikaru thought to herself as Lantis appeared behind her with his right hand on top of her shoulder.

As the news broadcast went on live, Euphy has appeared in all of the TV Screens throughout Area 11.

"I am Euphemia, Sub-Viceroy of Area 11 and 3rd Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire! There is something of great decree that I wish to speak of, as of today!"

At the same time during the broadcast, the Shidou couple watched Euphy's plan come into play as they both watched their TV in their guest room back at the Government Bureau.

"Here it comes!" Both Mr. and Mrs. Shidou said in unison.

"I, Euphemia li Britannia, hereby declare formation of the Special Administrative Zone of Japan in the area surrounding Mt. Fuji."

Upon hearing this, the entire crowd gasped in surprise, believing that Britannia and Japan are now going to change in an unexpected turn of events.

"WHAT?" All of the Magic Knights, Lelouch, and Suzaku gasped in unison.

"Britannia is recognizing Japan?" Hikaru gasped as her eyes widened with shock.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Diethard exclaimed as he slammed his fist onto the table after hearing what Euphy just said from the broadcast. "Never in all my years have I thought about a scheme like that, especially in a limited area!"

"No way!" Geo muttered in a state of shock before getting the young mechanic his attention. "ZAZU! You need to hear this!"

"Within the Special Administrative Zone of Japan, all Cephirian natives and enslaved Elevens will be discharged from captivity and to unify them with their loved ones under the banner of World Peace, along with all of Britannian and Japan. In addition, all Elevens will be permitted to call themselves Japanese and the restrictions made against them and the rights of Britannians will no longer exist within this Zone. We will pave way to bring peace to all of the New World that the Cephirians and their allied natives are living in. Also, Cephirians, Britannians, and Japanese will now put aside their differences and live side by side as equals!"

After hearing Euphy's broadcast further, Aska started spitting out her tea in shock. The twin Princesses of Chizeta both had their mouths wide open out of shock. Ferio and Lantis stood at where their Magic Knight girlfriends are at, totally speechless.

"Seriously?" Aska and Sang Yung gasped simultaneously. "She's not doing this to save Cephiro from getting invaded by Britannia, is she?"

"But that's..." Tarta exclaimed in confusion. "How is she going to do it?"

"We might need to change our plan in Area 11!" Lantis thought to himself.

"No, I already over that scenario more than once. It's nothing more than an empty dream!" Lelouch angrily thought in disgust.

"Do you hear me? Zero! Magic Knights of Cephiro!" Euphy continued her announcement, much to the extensive shock of Lelouch, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu. "I don't care what kind of troubling past you all had faced or who you are underneath those Knightmares or disguises. I beg you all, join us and create this special Zone where we all can find peace, freedom, and happiness throughout all of Area 11."

"UMI! FUU!" Hikaru shouted through her cellphone while making her call to both contracts at once. "Are you both listening to this?!"

"WHAT IS SHE DOING?!" Cornelia screeched in total confusion over what her younger sister is getting at after watching closely at the broadcast.

"Magic Knights, help me and Zero build this bright new future where you will all be reunited with your loved ones in Britannia; A place for everyone!" Euphy said as she finished her nationwide broadcast.

After hearing Euphy's broadcast, all of the Elevens started cheering for her into believing that they will get everything that the Britannians stripped from them back thanks to the sub-viceroy of Area 11. As for the Britannian Students, they all felt a bit confused on where all of this is heading at. Others claim that it may be because she fell in love that Honorary Britannian Suzaku.

"Yes we are, Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu replied through her cellphone. "Meet us back at base! We need to report all of this to Mr. Clef, ASAP!"

"Understood, Fuu!" Hikaru replied as she put her cellphone away before heading out the school entrance.

As Hikaru makes her way out with Lantis, she turns around to see Euphy smiling at her from a distance away.

"Don't you see, Hikaru?" Euphy thought inside her head. "By doing so, you can finally be reunited with your parents again, the same goes for your friends' parents too! I can also promise you that you won't have to fight my sister anymore!"

After staring at Euphy for a few seconds before turning her back on her, Hikaru doesn't know whether she'll accept Euphy's offer or not. But as for Lelouch, he doesn't think that Euphy would understand at all. He feared that if Euphy carries out that decree, it may have the Black Knights and Cephiro's Alliance fall apart from their revolution against the Britannian Empire.


	20. The Special Administrative Zone of Japan

At the area surrounding Mt. Fuji, a stadium is seen from a mile away. It is considered to be a huge football field that is surrounded by huge levels of bleachers. It is also where the Ceremony of the Equality for all Japanese and Cephirians will start at. At first, there was silence all around the stadium. But in the next minute, as the scene unfolds, there is screams and gunfire echoing throughout the area.

In the middle of the immediate bloodshed, a Japanese woman started fleeing into the hallways leading to the exit from the bleachers.

"NOOOOOO! PLEASE STOP!" The woman shrieked as she looked back while making a run for it. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE!"

Unfortunately, before the scared woman could get any close to the exit, she was silenced by an Assault Rifle that was fired by a nearby Britannian Gloucester, who came from behind before moving on.

As the woman felt bullets piercing her skin, she fell flat on her stomach while blood came gushing out of her fresh wounds. In just seconds, the woman dies from her injuries while other Japanese people continued to scream and run away from the shootout taking place inside the stadium.

In the midst of the chaos, Hikaru's brothers were trying to hide behind cover in one of the bleachers while making their way to the exit leading outside of the stadium, along with Mr. and Mrs. Shidou. During their escape, they did their best to avoid tripping over the dead bodies of their fellow Japanese people.

"Come on guys!" Masaru told his elder brothers. "We can't stay here any longer! We all have to run!"

"But our sister Hikaru is still out there!" Kakeru said in a panicked tone.

"We already know how much she's grown right now!" Satoru told the two Shidou brothers. "She can take care of herself!"

"But she's still our baby sister!" Kakeru shrieked, showing concern over Hikaru.

"Not anymore! She already proved herself otherwise!" Mr. Shidou said, denying Kakeru's exclamation. "Now let's get out here before they find us!"

As the Shidou family makes there way to the exit, an enemy Gloucester appeared before them, much to their horror.

"Prepare to die, ELEVENS!" The pilot of the Gloucester bellowed as he aimed his Assault Rifle at them.

"NO! P-Please!" The Shidous begged for mercy in unison, even though it will be the end for them all.

However, before the Gloucester could open fire upon the Shidous, an angry female voice has been heard out loud from within the stadium.

"GET AWAY FROM MY FAMILY!"

In an instant, Rayearth Alpha appeared while flying right above the Shidous and rammed his shield straight into the Gloucester's chest, making the Knightmare lose his aim as the Assault Rifle fired up to the ceiling. As Rayearth flung its shield to its right, the Gloucester staggered backwards before he was met with a clean chop from the neck down to his waist. When Rayearth pulled its sword out of the Gloucester, the Britannian Knightmare fell backwards cut in two and exploded into a fiery mess.

The moment Rayearth turned around, the Shidou Family looked up before feeling relieved that they have been spared from getting killed.

"Hikaru?" Kakeru muttered in a frightened tone.

"You can thank me later, guys!" Hikaru's voice spoke out from inside Rayearth. "Just get out while you still can!"

"Hikaru, dearie!" Mrs. Shidou pleaded as tears came out of her eyes. "Please be careful!"

"You know I will, mom!" Hikaru replied as she turned towards the hallways leading to the stadium. "For now, just run and don't look back!"

As the Shidou brothers made their way to the exit first, Mr. Shidou followed them from behind. Mrs. Shidou gave one last look at her daughter who is still inside the Rune God Knightmare before she made a small smile with tears coming out of her eyes out of happiness.

"I'm so proud of you, Hikaru!" Mrs. Shidou muttered as she ran towards the exit while catching up with her three sons and husband.

As Rayearth went to the stadium, Hikaru couldn't help but stare at the entire gruesome scene unfolding before her very eyes. All around the stadium's bleachers and onto the field, there is hundreds of bloodied corpses lying everywhere, children crying, survivors making a run for it, and Britannian soldiers and Knightmares shooting down innocent civilians left and right without hesitation or remorse. In addition, Hikaru sees wrecked chairs, bloodstained walls, huge bullets holes, and torn up Japanese Flags all around her.

After surveying the entire scene for a few seconds, Hikaru felt tears coming down from her eyes.

"Why Euphy? Why are you doing this?! I thought we were friends. You promised to unify all of our people live as equals!"

Inside her heart, something snapped as Hikaru shook her head, forcing herself to change the subject while remembering what Clef is telling her to do before this bloodbath occurred not to long ago.

"No! I have to find and capture Princess Euphemia before things get more worse!"

 _"Hold up, everyone!" Primera shouted as she reached her hand out from outside of the screen, the moment it stop. "For those who don't know about me, my name is Primera. The little fairy from Cephiro."_

 _As Primera appeared on the screen, she makes her announcement towards the audience getting straight to the point._

 _"But my introduction isn't important right now!" The little fairy continued as she waved her hands in a "No-No" gesture. "First of all, I'm sure you're wondering why all of this bloodshed is occurring at the stadium and, more importantly, why is Lady Hikaru fighting the Britannians again just to help her family escape with their lives. It all began 12 hours ago, right after Euphy made her announcement at the School Festival in Ashford Academy..."_

 **12 Hours Earlier...**

After heeding Euphy's public announcement over the New Broadcast at the School Festival, the Magic Knights went back to their hideout to meet up with Clef and the rest of the Cephirian representatives later afternoon. In the meeting room, the Magic Knights and their friends are all sitting by a table as they go over everything that happened at the School Festival. As Clef listened closely to what the Magic Knights just said about Princess Euphemia, his eyes widened with surprise for not imagining such an unexpected turn of events.

"Are you girls saying that Princess Euphemia is actually giving us a second chance to have Britannia sign in the Peace Treaty with Cephiro?" Clef asked, trying to summarize what the Eleven Knights elaborated.

"Well, that seems quite surprising!" Lafarga muttered.

"She wishes to have us build a future where all three countries will live side-by-side as equals, along with the aid of Zero!" Hikaru exclaimed. "We might as well join her at the ceremony tomorrow!"

"But what of our campaign in Area 11?" Umi asked, feeling hesitant in accepting Euphy's decree. "It may affect our allegiance with the Black Knights after coming this far to save both Cephiro and Japan from Britannia!"

"She did say that they'll release all of the prisoners once we accept those terms at the Special Administrative Zone of Japan!" Fuu told Umi. "I bet if we join up with Euphy in this Zone, we might finish our campaign the easy way than rather the hard way! Furthermore, we may be able to see all of our parents again if we cooperate with the Britannians under Ms. Euphy's authority!"

"That means we need to hand over Prince Clovis to them in return!" Geo added in. "It may be our way of yielding to Euphy's equality in Area 11."

"We're going to decide right now on who's going to the ceremony first!" Clef suggested to the whole group. "Just to make sure it is safe before the rest of the us representatives move in. We'll be expecting any calls immediately if anything happens at the ceremony!"

"I'll go!" Hikaru said with determination, making everyone except Clef gasp after hearing such a hasty decision.

"Hikaru, you can't be serious!" Umi gasped in shock. "Not after you were abducted by Shirley and when you got stranded on that island with Euphy and Zero back there!"

"Umi, Euphy wanted to understand us too the way she understood Suzaku!" Hikaru said, supporting her reason to join the ceremony. "I owe her this much after she helped me live to see another day and that she promised us not to tell Cornelia what we both been through together! Besides, as the Pillar of Cephiro, it is my responsibility to accept the peaceful terms that Euphy is offering to us."

"Well, we may need you to go with someone else as an escort to the ceremony!" Clef suggested to Hikaru. "I would've like to accompany you there, but I still have some paperwork that needs to be done with the rest of our collaborators!"

"I'll go too!" Lafarga said, announcing his decision as he stood up and went next to Hikaru.

"Are you sure, Lafarga?" Caldina asked, showing concern over the man she loves.

"I'll be alright, Caldina!" The Guard Captain explained in a confident tone. "After all, I do need to make amends with General Darlton at the Ceremony!"

"I'd rather go too!" Topaz added in. "Me and Lafarga will both be witnesses at the ceremony."

"Why you, Topaz?" Hikaru asked the Cephirian Commander.

"I want to meet up with your people at the Zone so that we will see how it plays out with Euphy in person!" Topaz explained. "Besides we want to make sure that what you say about Euphy is true. If so, we'll let the leaders of the New World attend the ceremony. But if you're wrong, we will have to capture Princess Eupemia immediately. Is that clear?!"

"I understand, Commander!" Hikaru replied.

"As for the rest of us and the leaders of our allied countries, we'll all be watching the ceremony from afar in our ships, while the Cephirian soldiers will be stationed nearby in their designated hiding spots," Geo explained.

"I do need to contact Lord Kirihara on where he wants to meet me at!" Hikaru said as she make her call from her cellphone.

As the reporter makes her latest news broadcast all over Area 11, some of the Black Knights, the Kyoto Group, and about more than 20,000 Japanese people insisted on attending the Special Administrative Zone of Japan in hopes of bringing an end to the cruelty of Britannia with equality. However, in Britannia's side, they are considering in using Euphy's decree to help stabilize Area 11 by having all of the terrorists stand down from their foolish rebellion. Darlton decides to accompany Princess Euphemia and Major Kururugi to the ceremony at the Special Zone, which is taking place at the stadium in Sector F-208.

For Princess Cornelia, she reported her sister's declaration to her elder brother Prince Schneizel. At the Government Bureau, Cornelia opens up a channel to make contact with the 2nd Prince of Britannia.

"I can't imagine how amazing Euphy really is!" Schneizel thought, referring to his younger half-sister. "By doing so, the Black Knight rebellion will soon fall apart and order will soon be restored. In other words, the groups supporting the Black Knights will disband."

"Don't forget that the Magic Knights of Cephiro and Cephiro's Alliance are still supporting them as an allied confederacy from the New World!" Cornelia said, reminding Schneizel about what she's been through with them. "Because of this, I personally oppose Euphy's decree in this Special Zone. I do wonder if Hikaru did something to Euphy that made my sister make such unbelievable decisions as this?"

"You might as well stand down from your fight with that Lady Spitfire." Schneizel suggested to his sister. "I do want to speak with her myself at the ceremony first!"

"I don't know about that!" Cornelia said, grimly. "She's already became another spark that ignited a whole new revolution in the New World! I also heard rumors from the New World that Hikaru is actually hailed as the Knight Pillar of Cephiro, one of the most powerful leaders ever to exist there!"

"It may be our only chance to convince her and her friends to join forces with the Empire to bring forth a new era of peace!" Schneizel said with determination. "If she accepts us, we'll spare all of the Elevens and the Cephirians from getting butchered or enslaved!"

"I'll be sending in Darlton to make amends with her before we accept their terms," Cornelia said, making her decisions loud and clear.

"Will you approve Euphy's decisions as Viceroy of Area 11 or as her elder sister?" Schneizel asked.

Meanwhile at the Kyoto Industries, Kirihara responded to Hikaru's phone call on where would they rendezvous. In response, the Leader of the Kyoto House suggested the Knight of Fire to meet up with him at main entrance of the Government Bureau. As Kirihara makes his appearance in Darlton's Office, General Darlton makes his conversation with him. Darlton suggested Kirihara to hand over all of the mining industries after the ceremony as well as dismissing his support to the Black Knights.

Soon afterwards, Darlton goes over his paperwork in his office until one of his guards came in for a report.

"General, we finally found her!" One of the Royal Guards said, informing Darlton. "Along with two of Cephiro's Commanding Officers!"

"Bring them in!" Darlton ordered his men.

As the doors to his office opened, the guards escorted Hikaru, Lafarga, and Topaz up to the front desk. After taking a good look at the three, Darlton smirked before ordering the guards to leave his office as he makes his private conversation towards the warriors of Cephiro.

Hikaru is now seeing wearing a red, sleeveless Cephirian noble dress with red thin straps over her bare shoulders and a long red skirt reaching down to her ankles, a white lace wrapped around her waist, a pair of long, white dress gloves stretching from her hands to her elbows, and pink dress shoes. Though, she still kept her magic glove on top of her right dress glove just incase she needs to defend herself.

As for Lafarga and Topaz, they're both still wearing their turquoise and orange combat armor to display their recognition as warriors fighting for Cephiro. When Darlton approached Hikaru in a fearless manner, he makes his speech in front of the Lady Knight of Cephiro.

"So Lady Hikaru, have you made your decision to surrender to the Britannian Empire?"

"No! Absolutely not!" Hikaru retorted as she stared sternly at the Britannian General. "I've made up my mind to attend the ceremony along with these escorts of mine to ensure that we'll end our war in Area 11."

"Who might that Cephirian warrior be next to Captain Lafarga?" Darlton asked.

"That will be Commander Rolando Topaz of Cephiro's Elite Guard!" Lafarga announced sternly.

"I may be a General of Cornelia's regiment, but I'm also the Head Advisor serving under her will!" Darlton informed. "I'll assure you all that if you yield to the Empire after the ceremony, we will forgive you for all the Britanian soldiers that were killed by your hands. So tell me, Hikaru, is Prince Clovis with you?"

"He is!" Hikaru answered immediately. "But we still need to make sure you won't lay another hand on my parents or any of my people first before we release Clovis from our custody! He's onboard the Autozamian Battleship NSX!"

"I see. Will the other allied forces of Cephiro show up at the ceremony too?" Darlton asked further.

"They will!" Lafarga glared in a serious tone. "However, we still want to make sure you won't put any of their leaders at risk when attending the ceremony in Area 11, the same goes for ours! Otherwise, we'll have to end Princess Euphemia's ceasefire at once! You already know what will happen next after that!"

"Tell me Lafarga, did you really think you'd owe this little lowly Eleven woman that much after she saved your cursed ass?!" Darlton sneered at the Cephirian Guard Captain.

"First of all, I don't really care if Hikaru is a lowly Eleven or whatever her ethic background she falls under!" Lafarga said in a self-confident tone. "Those who were closest to Princess Emeraude knew the story of the Legendary Magic Knights destined to save our beloved land from destruction! Also, the other countries of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren displayed their honors by protecting our people too and Caldina was no exception!"

"What do you know about Zero for starters?" Darlton asked Hikaru.

"All I can say is, he wanted to do what I'm able to do when I defended Cephiro from its enemies!" Hikaru summarized, not wanting to expose Zero's true identity as a former prince of Britannia. "Even though Princess Emeraude passed away, we still have our will to do the right thing regardless of what power we all possess. So Darlton, have you ever figured out what will be the right thing to do as a Commanding Officer of Britannia?"

"As Cornelia's Advisor, it's my duty to ensure the public safety around Area 11 and to ensure the protection of Princess Euphemia by all means!" Darlton explained. "In my experience, I do believed in Kururugi despite his Eleven status. We usually follow orders from Princess Cornelia most of the time."

"What are you really after in Cephiro?" Hikaru asked Darlton sternly.

"Well, I don't really know how to answer that!" Dartlon responded calmly. "Do you two really find any honor in supporting those terrorists in Area 11?"

"We may have, because they're all Japanese too just like I am!" Hikaru said in a fearless tone. "We all wanted to fight for independence in the New World. In fact, I was trying to understand Britannia without thinking too much about the past, hoping that one day I'll see my parents again. But judging from the situation that your people caused in the New World recently, I have waited long enough."

"Is that why you fought for Cephiro's Alliance up until now?!" Darlton asked. "As one of those Magic Knight Elevens?!"

"You heard me! Besides, I always thought of the Cephirians as if they're part of Japan too!" Hikaru added in.

"I really like how your determination makes you well-inspired by the natives of the New World!" Darlton chuckled. "You do remind me a lot like Suzaku Kururugi. Tell you what, if you let us do our job in understanding what was it like living in the New World and of its cultures, I can promise you that we won't rob Cephiro of its natural resources and instead trade it in with some of our excess Sakuradite!"

"What about the nobles who are still obsessed in keeping their power to themselves?" Hikaru asked further.

"Then, I'll have them follow a new guideline to limit their authority during their visit in the New World at Prince Schneizel's approval!" Darlton replied, with a small grin on his face. "Come to think of it, you ran into Euphy earlier did you, right after she got off the plane from the other day?!"

"At first, I thought Euphy was just going to get in my way. However, when I ran into her again at Kaminejima Island, I know now that I couldn't bear myself to treat her as an enemy, she's just as kind as Eagle was, despite him being the Commander of Autozam way before Geo took his place."

"You really are the most unbelievable opponent I ever face in battle!" Darlton laughed at Hikaru. "If you really treated Euphy with the respect she deserved, then I guess we'll call it a real truce."

"You mean, you wish to end our war here in Area 11?" Lafarga asked, feeling a bit relieved.

"As long as we can maintain our peace offerings between Cephiro and Britannia, everything will be fine from here on out. Though, we still need Euphy's approval first when she makes her decisions with Zero," Darlton added in.

"We all have an accord!" Hikaru confirmed as she shook hands with Darlton.

Next morning, the NSX, the Bravada, and the Dome of Fahren appeared in the skies right above Mt. Fuji as the leaders of the New World watched the ceremony unfold from their main screens inside their ships. From outside of Area 11, the representatives from Europia Union and the Chinese Federation are watching the ceremony from their TV screens as it is being broadcasted throughout the entire world. The reporter makes her announcement as she started wondering if Zero will show up at the Special Administrative Zone of Japan.

In the stadium, all of the bleachers and the entire football field is jam-packed with Japanese People. In front of the G-1 base, the Representatives of Britannia, including Princess Euphy and Suzaku Kururugi, make their appearance at the main stage in front of the citizens of Japan. Various Britannian Marines, Gloucesters, and Sutherlands are stationed at every corner around the field and in between the Representatives and the Japanese.

Deep within the bleachers, there is Masaru, Kakeru, and Satoru seen next to the exit with their parents sitting in front of them. When Euphy and Suzaku attended the ceremony, they had Mr. and Mrs. Shidou accompany them to the stadium, letting the couple sit at the bleachers with their sons. As they waited for their daughter to show up, Mrs. Shidou felt nervous on what kind of warrior Hikaru has become, apart from the Black Knights. About more than 200,000 Japanese citizens are sitting down, waiting for Princess Euphemia to make her speech during the ceremony.

Unfortunately, those who were able to enter the stadium and find any seatings are left waiting outside of the ceremony. Within that crowd, there was the Ryuuzaki couple and Kuu Houoji, Umi's parents and Fuu's elder sister, standing by. Ever since they saw the recent news headlines revolving around the New World, they had a big question mark on their heads on who might the strange warriors fighting against Britannia really are. Ever since they lost their Japanese Rights and their freedom, both Umi's parents and Fuu's parents were forced to give up half of their wealth to the Britannian Nobles before being brought into forced labor in exchange to have their daughters attend their private schools, just like Hikaru's parents. Ultimately, ever since Euphy is upholding the ceremony where she is going to give back the Japanese their former rights, Umi's parents and Kuu couldn't help but felt a bit relieved that they'll be free from Britannia's control for good.

In just several minutes later, General Darlton appeared on the stage behind Euphy, with Hikaru, Lafarga, Topaz, and Kirihara accompanying him. As the reporter makes her announcement live on TV, she was able to show a full glimpse on the true identity of one of the Magic Knights. Upon seeing Hikaru in public view, many of the Japanese people were surprised to she her with her Red Knightmare, who appeared on the stage behind Kirihara, along with Lafarga's and Topaz's Knightmares. As for the Shidou's, they spotted Hikaru from where they were sitting at and smiled and waved at her. When Hikaru looked up, she finally sees her parents and her brothers, feeling relieved that the Knight of Fire was able to see them again after being separated for so long.

Back in Ashford, however, the Student Council had their mouths wide open in shock after realizing that one of the students is actually one of the Eleven Knights protecting the New World from Britannia while seeing Hikaru through their laptop.

"I don't believe it!" Milly gasped. "Why would Hikaru...?"

"Oh man!" Rivalz said in disappointment. "I could've sworn that we already checked her background before she gained admission in this school!"

As for Shirley, she felt a bit nonchalant after seeing Hikaru at the broadcasting ceremony.

"Well, we might as well pray that Hikaru won't do what those JLF terrorists did during the Hotel Jacking!" Nina said, in a soft tone. "If anything happens to Euphy again because of her, however, we do need to expel her from this school along with her Eleven-Transfer friends, Umi and Fuu!"

"You mean, she might accept Princess Euphemia's equality, despite her being a knight from the other world?" Rivalz guessed.

"There's only one way to find out, guys!" Shirley told everyone as she sat next to Rivalz before watching the broadcast on their laptop.

Back at the hideout, Clef is watching the ceremony from a magic screen that he has casted inside the warehouse at a dark, secured room.

For Geo and Zazu, they ordered the crew to upload the broadcast into the main screen onboard the NSX at the command bridge.

Inside the Bravada, the twin sisters sat down as Tarta clapped her hands to bring up the screen before watching the ceremony near Mt. Fuji.

Lady Aska and Sang Yung went back onboard the Dome of Fahren and head down to the throne room before activating the spherical screen. After it screen lit up, it revealed the stadium where the Ceremony is taking place in.

As all three leaders are prepared to see what will Euphy discuss during her methods of equality, they all sat down anxiously hoping that the 3rd Princess of the Britannian Empire will grant a new era of peace to all countries from the New World and all of Area 11.

Earlier before they setup their broadcasting stations, Lady Aska ordered Giant Sang Yung to hide in the forest along with a platoon of Cephirian Knightmares armed with anti-Knightmare spears, Maser Vibration Sabers, and hand-mounted energy crossbows. Next to Aska's illusionary giant, the Djinns are standing above the trees. In front of the platoon, Ferio's, Presea's, Caldina's, and Lantis' Knightmares at hiding behind the bushes as they see the stadium from afar, hoping that nothing bad will happen to the Japanese during the ceremony that Euphy is going to uphold.

On the other side of Mt. Fuji, the Black Knights and the Four Holy Swords are stationed in another forest, making sure that, just like the forces of Cephiro's Alliance, their fellow Japanese citizens are not going to fall into any death traps during Euphy's ceremony, as well as waiting for the Empire's true intentions.

Back at the stadium, when Hikaru sat down in one of the tall orange chairs between Euphy and Darlton, she noticed that Euphy was smiling at her, telling her that everything is going to be fine here. Before Hikaru had a chance to say anything to Euphy, the crowd started exclaiming after seeing the Gawain appear from the sky above them. On top of the Gawain's shoulders, Zero makes his appearance before both Japanese and Britannians.

"Zero!" Hikaru and Suzaku exclaimed in unison upon seeing the masked figure appear before them onboard the Gawain.

"So, you've finally admit defeat, Zero?" Darlton smirked.

As for Kirihara, he figured that Zero's secret identity is at stake here. The Leader of the Kyoto Houses feared that if the people discovered the Zero is a Britannian Prince, the entire order of the Black Knights will fall apart into nothingness and their allegiance with Cephiro's Armies and the Magic Knights will shatter. The Britannian Commaders reminded all of the troops that their target will be Zero. Furthermore, if the soldiers will be ordered to kill Zero if he tries anything suspicious.

"Zero, welcome to the Special Administrative Zone of Japan!" Euphy said as she stood up from her seat and greeted the Leader of the Black Knights.

"Greetings, Euphemia Li Britannia!" Zero said as he greeting the 3rd Princess up front. "I wish to speak with you in private before we begin the ceremony!"

"Just with me?!" Euphy asked Zero.

"Yes, you alone!" Zero answered as he and the Gawain make their landing behind the stadium and near the G-1 Base.

"I'm strongly against Zero's request!" Suzaku told Euphy in a cautious tone.

"It'll be alright, Suzaku!" Hikaru told the Honorary Knight of Britannia. "There is actually something more interesting between those two, something that may help resolve our rivalry on the battlefield! You just have to trust Euphy for once."

"What do you mean by that?" Suzaku asked, sternly.

"It's not my place to say!" Hikaru replied, not wanting to let Suzaku dig too deep in her own brain. "Just pray for their peaceful diplomacy!"

After scanning Zero with a metal detector, the security guard finds no hidden weapons within Zero's cloak. Without further a due, Euphy leads Zero into the empty command bridge of the G-1 Base, leaving Suzaku and the security guards standing around.

While Clef brought in some snacks to munch on, he felt a bit of grim premonition following through his brain. As the Master Mage looked up to the sky and gasped, he started muttering in pure terror.

"What the?! No way! T-That can't be right! This is bad! I have to contact Hikaru through my magic telepathy!"

"Master Mage, are you sensing what I'm sensing?!" Lantis said as his voice filled up Clef's head.

"Yes, I am!" Clef answered. "I think Princess Euphemia is going to be in danger from herself! I have to warn Hikaru and Lafarga!"

"My thoughts exactly!" Lantis confirmed. "Something bad is going to happen between Euphy and Zero, I could feel it!"

Back at the place where Cephiro's followers are stationed at, Lantis started sweating from inside the cockpit of his Black Crusader.

"Hey Lantis, are you feeling okay in there?!" Ferio's voice spoke out from the Green Ranger.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" Lantis replied in an anxious tone. "I still can't help but feel that something isn't right! I'm still worried about Hikaru attending the ceremony with Lafarga and Topaz."

"We still need to wait until Captain Lafarga can confirm Euphy's true intentions!" Presea said, trying to keep to the schedule.

As for Umi and Fuu, they both walked forward past the Cephirian Knightmares, while inside their Rune God Knightmares, and looked towards the stadium and the area surrounding Mt. Fuji.

"If only we're able to come in as Hikaru's escorts!" Umi muttered out of concern. "I hope Euphy knows what she is doing!"

"Let's not worry too much, Ms. Umi!" Fuu said with sympathy. "If Hikaru can reason with Euphy, so can we!"

"Well, let's hope nothing bad happens to our family again at the ceremony," Umi said.

While sitting down next to Kirihara, he turns towards Hikaru to go over what happened so far in the New World and in Area 11.

"So Hikaru, how's Lantis and the others doing?"

"They're doing fine, sir!" Hikaru replied anxiously.

"Are those two warriors from Cephiro too?" Kirirhara asked, referring to the escorting guards from the New World.

"Yes, this is Captain Lafarga and Commander Topaz of the Cephirian Royal Guard!" Hikaru said, as she introduced them both to Lord Kirihara.

"I see!" The Kyoto House leader acknowledged.

"It's been a please to meet you, my lord!" Lafarga said as he walked next to Kirihara. "You must be one of the leaders of the Kyoto House."

While trading conversations between the Warriors of the New World, General Darlton, and Kirihara on the stage, Zero and Euphy make their agreements inside the command bridge of the G-1 Base, shutting off the power so that no one will see them from outside. As Zero took off his mask, revealing himself as Lelouch again, he pulled out a needle gun, which cannot be detected from a metal scanner due to its ceramic and bamboo materials, he explains that in this world there can only be one Messiah. When Lelouch makes a request for Euphy to shoot him, he also asks what will happen if she does it. Euphy replies that Zero will become a martyr amongst the Japanese and rioting will break out, shattering the Princess' popularity for good. Just when Lelouch explains further about this twisted turn of events, he collapses on his knees while holding onto the eye that contained his Geass.

When Euphy tried to figure out what is happening to Lelouch, he snaps at her and threaten to stain her hands with blood, addressing the Princess with her full name, "Euphemia li Britannia."

"That isn't my name! I renounced it!" Euphy said in a stern voice, feeling taken back by Zero's anger.

Upon hearing Euphy's response, Lelouch gasped after realizing that Euphy really did want to revive his happy life with the rest of his siblings and Nunnally.

"It may be a formal announcement back at the homeland, but I have no intention of taking the Britannian Throne!"

"What?! But why?" Lelouch asked, feeling a bit shocked from where Euphy is getting at.

"If I did, Hikaru and her fellow Japanese people will never live a happy life, whether or not Britannia claimed their country as part of their jurisdiction! There's always a price to pay for making such selfish decisions as Emperor or Empress of the Holy Britannian Empire."

"I suppose you did this for me and Nunnally," Lelouch concluded.

"I'm also doing this for Lady Hikaru too," Euphy added in. "I felt bad for her too seven years ago. She may be just as strong as Suzaku, but I know that deep down in her eyes, she never seemed happy living in Area 11 during Britannia's occupation did she? And that she finally fought back after learning that Britannia attempted to conquer the New World of Cephiro, her beloved paradise! Well, I'll help Hikaru find happiness in her homeland, the way she did in the New World. In fact, when Nunnally told me that she wanted to find happiness with her own brother and nothing more than that, its just the same as when Hikaru was able to be with Lantis after they both found happiness in the New World. So, there won't be anything to worry about! I won't tell anyone about how I met you and Hikaru!"

"Euphy, you are most amazing fool I ever known." Lelouch chuckled. "Now that I finally see you more better than Cornelia or Clovis, I don't imagine you as the Sub-Viceroy or a Britannian Princess; just as plain little Euphy you once were."

"So as plain little Euphy, will you join me and Hikaru to bring peace to all of Britannia, Japan, and Cephiro?" Euphy asked as she lend out her hand towards Lelouch.

"You are the worst opponent I ever faced! Thank you!" Lelouch smiled as he shook hands with Euphy. "You win. I'll amend my plans to help out with your special zone but not as your subordinate, alright?!"

"Okay!" Euphy smiled.

After their conversation between Lafarga and Kirihara, the Leader of the Kyoto House couldn't stop laughing out of such positive outcomes that the Cephirian Guard Captain went through with the Magic Knights of Cephiro.

"I hope we can all see the world that you and Topaz came from someday!" Kirihara grinned.

"Well, it's always been my will and my honor to serve and protect my fellow Cephirians from any danger!" Lafarga smiled. "Especially when I first met Caldina during my guard duties around Cephiro."

"As a matter of fact, we went to Area 11 with the Magic Knights not because to put an end to the fighting that occurred back in our homeland, but also to learn and understand how the Magic Knights live their life as, before they came to our world and changed everything in a good way!" Topaz added in.

"I never thought you Cephirians are that curious to see outside of your homeland!" Darlton acknowledged.

"There's always the first time for everything, Darlton!" Lafarga replied. "After all, we all owe the Magic Knights this much!"

As Hikaru continue to hear Darlton and Lafarga get along, she couldn't help but smile into believing that our fight with Britannia will actually end there. However, just before she can join in the conversation, Hikaru started hearing Clef's telepathic voice inside her head.

 _"Hikaru! Something bad is happening to Princess Euphemia! You have to capture immediately before its too late!"_

 _"What? What do you mean 'Capture Euphemia?' What are you talking about?" Hikaru replied from inside her head._

Before Clef could say anymore to Hikaru with his telepathy, the crowd started murmuring upon seeing the Sub-Viceroy appear before them, not noticing that she is carrying the needle gun that Zero had. As Euphy ran up to the stage, not paying attention to Hikaru or Kirihara, she makes her announcement in front of the mike.

"Hey look! It's the sub-viceroy!" One of the Elevens spoke from the bleachers.

"Sub-Viceroy, where's Zero?!" Darlton asked Euphy as he stood up, ending his conversation with Lafarga and Kirihara.

 _"No! It has begun!" Clef gasped in horror._

"Those of you who call yourselves Japanese, I have a favor to ask of you. Could you all die please?!"


	21. Assault upon Mt Fuji

"What?!" Hikaru gapsed in shock after what Euphy just said in front of her people. "D-Die please?"

Upon hearing what Euphy just said, the crowd was murmuring in total confusion for not being clear on what they all just heard from the Sub-Viceroy, along with the Shidou Family. As for Lafarga and Topaz, both of them couldn't tell if this was just a joke or something that must be taken seriously.

"She did not say just that, did she?!" Lafarga muttered in himself while sweating underneath his breath.

Topaz couldn't find any words to say after Euphy made that ominous speech in front of the Japanese as he started stammering underneath his breath.

Behind the stadium, Zero came out of the G-1 base and struggles to catch up with Euphy after making such an erroneous joke in front of her earlier.

"What the hell am I thinking?" Zero muttered in horror. "I should never have said that! What am I going to do?!"

* * *

Zero's Flashback:

After accepting Euphy's request back in the G-1 Base, she was following up on where Lelouch is getting at after making a threat that she will shoot him.

"No, that's actually wrong!" Lelouch said in a calm voice. "When people follow my orders, they won't resist me!"

"Don't be silly, Lelouch!" Euphy said, sheepishly.

"I'm serious! For example, if I told you to kill all the Japanese people, it wouldn't matter how you..." Lelouch explained further, not even realizing what he just did in front of Euphy.

As Euphy gasped in horror, her eyes lit up in a red light, making her back away.

"N-No! Don't make me do it, please!" Euphy shrieked while holding herself, making Lelouch's eyes widened in confusion. "I-I'm going to do it! Please, I don't want to kill them!"

"What the?! What did I say?" Lelouch gasped, unaware that his Geass was turned on until the last minute.

"You're right! I have to kill all the Japanese!" Euphy replied as she changed her tone of voice from frightened to emotionless.

"No, it can't be!" Lelouch muttered to

 _"You may have a power that might become your undoing if you don't it properly._ We don't like being ordered around when falling under any evil spells or under any evil curses."

Upon remembering what Clef told him when first forming his Allegiance with the Cephirians and their followers, Lelouch just realized that what's happening to Euphy right now is exactly what the Master Mage warned him about.

"This must've been what Clef is trying to warn me about!" Lelouch said in horror. "But just like Mao, I can't control my Geass anymore!"

Just when he turned to face Euphy again, she picked up the Needle gun before running off.

"Euphy please, forget the order I just gave you! Euphy wait! NOOOOOOO!"

After Euphy disappeared, Lelouch got up on his feet and put his mask back on before running after her. Now as Zero again, he wasn't able to catch up to Euphy and wrestle the gun out of her hands, due to his lack of stamina.

"If Hikaru and Clef find out about this, they'll never forgive me!" Zero muttered in fear. "I have to stop Euphy before its too late."

End of Flashback.

* * *

As Zero got closer to the stage, he hears Euphy continue her announcement on the mike in front of all 200,000 Japanese people.

"I was hoping you all commit suicide, but you can't can you?!"

"T-This can't be happening!" Hikaru muttered in fear, believing that her parents are going to be in danger very soon.

"Okay soldiers, kill the Japanese! Kill them all!" Euphy continued.

"Has that woman gone mad?" Kirihara gasped as he got out of his seat.

"CUT THE MIKES AND CAMERAS NOW!" Darlton shouted as he raised his hand up towards the back of the stage.

As the murmuring amongst the panicked Japanese intensifies, Zero tries to rush in from behind the stage only to be intercepted by two Britannian Royal Guards. Before he uses his Geass on the guards, Zero heard gunfire coming from Euphy. She fired the Needle gun at a nearby Japanese man in the heart, killing him as he slid down off his chair. As a result, some of the Japanese people got out of their seats out of fright. For Hikaru, Lafarga, Topaz, and Darlton, they all flinched after hearing the gunfire coming from Euphy.

Back onboard the ships of the three allied countries of Cephiro, the leaders continued to watch the broadcast. Before they saw what was happening, the leaders of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren have all gasped after seeing Princess Euphy opened fire upon an innocent Japanese citizen. At the same time, they all reacted with horror in their eyes.

"WHAT THE BLAZES?!" Geo and Zazu shrieked as they both looked closely at the monitor with both of their cheeks clamping together in a panic.

"S-SHE DIDN'T DO WHAT I THOUGHT SHE JUST DID!" Tarta exclaimed in pure terror.

"OH MY GOODNESS!" Tatra gasped as she held her mouth with both of her hands, with her eyes widened with shock.

As Aska looked at what Euphy just did on the stage, her eyes widened with horror before she fell backwards off her chair and collapsed on her back towards the floor.

"LADY ASKA!" Sang Yung shouted in a panic as he went to check up on his mistress.

"This is not happening!" Qiang Aing shrieked as his eyes bugged out from his white brows in fear and dropped his gnarled staff next to his feet.

Back at the stadium after Euphy makes her first shot at one of the Japanese citizens, a woman from within the crowd screamed her head off. For the Shidous, they all jumped out of their seats and struggled to find cover behind one of the bleachers.

"Go on soldiers, do your duty! Hurry up!" Euphy said, giving out orders to the Britannia Soldiers and Knightmares all around the stadium.

"Princess Euphemia! What on earth has come over you?!" Darlton gasped, after realizing what the Princess had done. "Please, stop this at once your highness! This is..."

Before Darlton could say anymore, he immediately gets shot by Euphy in the lower abdomen and collapsed on his stomach while clutching onto his wound.

"DARLTON!" Lafarga and Topaz shrieked as they both went to his aid.

Upon seeing Darlton collapse due to his injuries, Zero disregards his orders to the Royal Guards and makes his way back to the Gawain.

"Uh-Oh!" Hikaru muttered after seeing Darlton get shot at by Euphy.

Realizing what is going to happen right now, Hikaru raised her magic glove to don her Magic Knight armor, replacing her Cephirian noble dress in its place.

"Forgive me, General! But I mustn't let anyone stand in my way, I have to kill all the Japanese!" Euphy apologized before continuing to carry out her genocidal orders.

"Lafarga! Get Darlton and Lord Kirihara to a safe place!" Hikaru ordered her escorts as she drew out her Escudo Broadsword. "Topaz, warn the others quick!"

"Yes, my lady!" Topaz acknowledge as he makes his way into his Gloucester customized Knightmare.

"NOW BRITANNIANS! KILL THE JAPANESE!" Euphy announced.

"EVERYONE RUUUUUUUUUUUUN!" Hikaru shouted at the top of her lungs towards her fellow citizens before getting inside her Rune God Knightmare.

Just like that, massive gunfire, explosions, and terrified screams erupted throughout the entire stadium. As soon as Rayearth Alpha jumped into action, Hikaru did her best to help many Japanese people escape their deaths while fending off the Britannians and Gloucesters. At the start of the bloody mayhem, several Britannian soldiers were shouting out commands at each other while opening fire upon the innocent civilians.

"KILL THE ELEVENS!"

"ALL TROOPS EXTERMINATE THE ELEVENS!"

"DON'T LET ANY OF THEM ESCAPE!"

"KILL THEM ALL!"

After Lafarga went inside his Lancelot Blitz, carrying an injured Darlton with him and leaving Kirihara hiding next to the walls behind the stage, he draws out his two-handed MVS and fights way out of the stadium.

"Thanks Lafarga! Though, I still think something doesn't add up after Euphy gave out that genocidal order!" Darlton thought.

"Don't thank me just yet! You need to rest!" Lafarga told his ex-enemy. "We'll get to the bottom behind Euphemia's behavior later. But right now we need to save as many of Hikaru's people as we can!"

During Hikaru's fight with Britannia and how she was able to protect her some of fellow Japanese from getting killed while piloting her Rune God Knightmare, the Shidous watched closely at her actions. They couldn't help but feel impressed on how much she's grown despite Hikaru being the youngest child in their family. However, her brothers are still concerned for her safety, regardless.

After Hikaru took down several Sutherlands with her broadsword and enemy soldiers with her fire magic, she looks up to see where her family is last seen at. Her eyes narrowed with anger as she spotted an enemy Gloucester makes his way towards the Shidous, who are trying to escape the slaughter.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Hikaru snarled as her Rune God Knightmare took flight and headed straight for the Gloucester. "GET AWAY MY FAMILY!"

Before the enemy Knightmare could open fire at the Shidous, he was met with a shield bash caused by Rayearth Alpha. In an instant, Hikaru cut down the enemy knightmare in two, coming from his neck all the way down to between the legs. After the Gloucester split in two, he collapsed on its back and exploded in a fiery wreck.

The moment Rayearth turned around, the Shidou Family looked up before feeling relieved that they have been spared from getting killed.

"Hikaru?" Kakeru muttered in a frightened tone. "D-Did you just...?!"

"You can thank me later, Kakeru!" Hikaru's voice spoke out from inside Rayearth. "Just get out while you still can!"

"Hikaru, dearie!" Mrs. Shidou pleaded as tears came out of her eyes. "Please be careful!"

"You know I will, mom! After all, I've been doing this for a long time in the New World." Hikaru replied as she turned towards the hallways leading to the stadium. "For now, just run and don't look back!"

As the Shidou brothers made their way to the exit first, Mr. Shidou followed them from behind. Mrs. Shidou gave one last look at her daughter who is still inside the Rune God Knightmare before she made a small smile with tears coming out of her eyes out of happiness.

"I'm so proud of you, Hikaru!" Mrs. Shidou muttered as she ran towards the exit while catching up with her three sons and husband.

After seeing her mother disappear to the exit of the stadium, along with the rest of her surviving family, Hikaru went back to the area where the massacre is currently taking place in. Before getting back into the fight, Hikaru sees Lafarga protecting her people with his Lancelot Blitz, the same goes for Topaz.

Every time the Blitz Knightmare swung his scimitar MVS around, it unleashes an mid-air blue explosive wave at the Sutherlands dead on. Upon impact, the Sutherlands get blown away by the Lancelot Blitz's MVS, making them collapse into a million pieces. When Lafarga spotted several frightened children try to run away from the massacre, he went in front of them and activated the Lancelot's Core Luminous Tower Shield, deflecting the bullets coming from the enemy Marines who are opening fire upon them.

"Thanks, mister!" One of the little kids said.

"Get out while you still can!" Lafarga told the Japanese kids. "We'll hold them off here!"

Without saying another word, the children continued to run towards the exit as Lafarga continued to stand his ground against the genocidal Britannians.

As for Topaz, he activated his intercom channel while firing back at the Britannians with his Gloucester's hand-mounted Crossbow.

"Lady Umi! Lady Fuu! This is Commander Topaz! Princess Euphemia has issued an order to kill all the Japanese at the stadium. We need backup fast! Get all Cephirian Knightmare Frames ready for combat at once! We have to save the Japanese from this immediate genocide! PLEASE! HURRY!"

As Hikaru watched Lafarga and Topaz help her rescue her people, she started having thoughts to herself about what has every become of her friend Euphy. At the same time, it made Hikaru rethink everything she had learn during her adventures in Cephiro three years ago, all the way to what is happening right now!

"Why Euphy? Why are you doing this?! I thought we were friends. You gave me your word! You promised to unify all of our people live as equals!"

Inside her heart, something snapped as Hikaru shook her head, forcing herself to change the subject while remembering what Clef is telling her to do before this bloodbath occurred at the ceremonial grounds.

"No! I have to find and capture Princess Euphemia before things get more worse!"

As Hikaru went back into the fight to protect her people from Britannia, Zero takes off with his Gawain before feeling pity for what he had done to Euphy by accident.

"I'm shocked!" C.C said as she sat in the pilot seat in front of Zero. "I didn't think you'd go that far with your Geass!"

"Actually, I did not mean to use my Geass on Euphy!" Zero retorted in anguish.

"What?!" C.C exclaimed. "Then, that shocking feeling back there was..."

"You already warned me about the risks when we made our contract after you gave me my Geass!" Zero muttered in shock. "I underestimated on how dangerous this power can be. Nonetheless, I will have no choice but to exploit Euphy to the utmost!"

When a fleet of VTOL Gunships appeared into the sky, they demanded Zero to hand over the Gawain back to them. However, in denying their demands, Zero fires the Gawain's Hadron Cannons, obliterating the entire fleet with one shot before giving out orders to the Black Knights.

"This is Zero to the Black Knights! Euphemia has become our enemy. This Special Administrative Zone of Japan is a cowardly death trap to lure us in! All Black Knight Knightmares, advance on the stadium! Stop the Britannians and save the Japanese! HURRY!"

After receiving Commander Topaz's distress call, the leaders from Cephiro's Alliance makes preparations in liberating the Japanese people from Britannia's immediate attack upon them.

"Zazu! Get my GTO ready for combat!" Geo ordered as he put on his combat visor before heading down to the hangars.

"Yes sir!" Zazu acknowledged as he went to the computer and activated the GTO for launch.

"Come on Tatra! We can't let those people die in vain!" Tarta told her elder sister as she stood up from her seating cushions.

"I'm with you, Tarta!" Tatra acknowledged in a stern tone. "Let's do this for Umi!"

"GO MIGHTY DJINN!" Tarta shouted as she clapped hands with Tatra. "GO SAVE UMI'S PEOPLE AND SQUASH THOSE BRIT ROACHES!"

"Lady Aska are you sure you want to do this? Sang Yung asked out of concern as he sees his mistress gets up on her feet before issuing commands to her illusions.

"Yes I do, Sang Yung!" Aska replied in a serious tone. "If Fuu were to save our country from going to war with Cephiro, I'll be able to do the same for her too! Besides, I'll do anything to pay her back!"

"Please be careful, Lady Aska!" Qiang Ain reminded the Fahren Princess. "There's no telling what they'll be throwing at us!"

"GO GIANT SANG YUNG!" Aska shouted at the top of her lungs while issuing out commands to her dragon art reincarnation. "GO SAVE FUU'S PEOPLE! STOP THOSE BRITANNIAN PSYCHOS!"

* * *

When Suzaku woke up after falling unconscious when touching C.C, his eyes widened after hearing a lot of screaming and shooting coming from the stadium. As he ran up behind the walls leading to the stage, Suzaku got all confused and startled on what is going on.

"STOP WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING?!" Suzaku exclaimed in horror before activating his com-link. "All forces, this is Suzaku Kururugi. Knight of Honor of Britannia. Cease fire at once!"

"Sorry, sir! We've been ordered by Princess Euphemia to kill all the Japanese at will!" One of the pilots spoke from inside his Gloucester.

"Princess Euphemia did?!" Suzaku gasped, referring to his lover. "That's absurd!"

"Come to think of it, you're Japanese too aren't you?!" The Gloucester added in as he opened fire at Suzaku on the field.

However, thanks to his agility in the military, Suzaku was able to evade fire from his own troops while struggling to make contact with the Special Corps from the Avalon.

"EUPHY! WHERE ARE YOU?!" Suzaku shouted in a panicked tone of voice as he used his device to call in the Lancelot.

* * *

After several minutes of fighting against the Britannians at the Stadium, Hikaru spotted a group of enemy soldiers planting an explosive charge at a nearby corner. In just seconds, the bombs exploded and left behind a huge hole leading to the outside of the stadium. Without further a due, the rest of the Britannian Knightmares left the stadium to continue with their genocidal rampage thanks to Euphemia.

"Guys! The Britannians are exiting out of the stadium!" Hikaru shouted at Lafarga and Topaz.

"I already made contact with our forces, Lady Hikaru!" Topaz spoke from inside his Gloucester. "They're on their way right now! You go capture Euphemia!"

Without hesitation, Hikaru's Rune God flew up into the sky as both of its fiery sprouts started shooting out from its back in a powerful jet stream, making her fly faster than the eye could see. As for Lafarga and Topaz, they steered their Knightmares out of the stadium to regroup with their men before continuing their battle against Britannia at Mt. Fuji.

"Umi! Fuu! I need your help!" Hikaru told her two friends from her cellphone while inside her Rune God. "Clef has given us orders to capture Princess Euphemia at once!"

As Euphy makes her way into Darlton's Gloucester Knightmare, she opens up a public channel before carrying out her commands towards the rest of the Britannian forces in Mt. Fuji.

"I, Euphemia li Britannia, bid all of you with the sound of my voice heed the following command: Seek out any Japanese you can find and please, kill them. Leave not a single one of them alive!"

When Britannian Forces started to unleash hell upon the Japanese People once again, the Cephirian Forces made a full-frontal charge from the east side of Mt. Fuji with their personalized Gloucester Knightmares, while the Black Knights launched an attack upon Britannia from the west side. Above them, the two mighty Djinn of Chizeta flew straight into the heart of the enemy as they both drew out their Arab Swords for close combat. For Giant Sang Yung, he resorted to all sorts of karate kicks and punches, than rather using his electrical beam for it may cause unnecessary, catastrophic damage in the city that he is in. When the GTO came out of the NSX, the green mecha started shooting out cannon fire and missiles at the Britannian Knightmares from above while hovering in mid-air. As the Cephirians engaged the Britannians with trading sword strikes, spear and halberd thrusts, and gunfire and crossbow fire, Caldina and Presea skid their Knightmares while evading enemy fire coming from the Britannian Knightmares before going up close and in person.

The moment she closed into their position, Presea, who is know piloting the Smitherite Knightmare, opens fire with its semi-auto battle cannon mounted on its right hand. For every enemy Sutherland that got struck by the Smitherite's wrist cannon, it's shells exploded onto the Knightmare's tungsten armor before it fell on its back. After taking down two more Sutherlands with its battle cannon, the Smitherite drew out its MVS. The moment the MVS' blade glistened in broad daylight, it started glowing in a yellow aura as the Smitherite struck at a nearby enemy Gloucester, cutting its head off along with its spear.

As Caldina moved in while piloting her Dancing Siren Knightmare, she cartwheeled and did a forward acrobatic flip into a group of 5 enemy Sutherlands. Upon landing in the middle of the Sutherland group, the Dancing Siren lifted both of its legs up to the sky while moving with both of its hands. Before they could see what was Caldina doing, her Knightmare did an upside down spinning attack with both legs as they drew out short blades from its feet. Upon impact, the Sutherlands were all cut in two by the Siren's bladed kicks. When another Sutherland attempts to open fire at the Dancing Siren, Caldina's Knightmare did a forward flip, along with another bladed kick that left a huge gash onto its Tungsten armor before falling backwards a few meters away from her. On Caldina's left, she spots two more Sutherlands opening fire at her with their Assault rifles. In a fast reaction, her Knightmare ran forward at high speed before drawing out its Assassin dangers from underneath both of its hands. With one swift motion, the Siren sliced with her daggers right past both Gloucesters, with her arms linked together in a 'X' stance. In the next second, the two Gloucesters got cut off in a diagonal line before they both exploded behind Caldina's Knightmare.

"Bet ya thugs can't handle the sexiest dancer here, ya fools!" Caldina cackled as she taunted the Britannian soldiers during the battle at Mt. Fuji.

While the fight continued between the Britannians and the Cephirians, most of the Japanese are all awestruck that the forces from the New World have came to aid them in Area 11, just like their heroic Black Knights. But it didn't change the fact that there's still other frightened Japanese citizens making a run for it. When the Britannians broke out of the stadium and attacked the Japanese on sight, Umi's parents and Kuu immediately left their crowded lines and ran for their lives. However, as the explosions, gunfire, and the body count become accumulate, the three Japanese citizens get separated within the destructive chaos.

When Umi's parents tried to make a run for it to a nearby cafe, three Britannian Sutherlands appeared all armed to the teeth with their Assault Rifles and Staffen Missile Launchers.

"No! Please don't do this!" Mr. Ryuuzaki pleaded for his life.

Ignoring Umi's father's begging for mercy, the Sutherlands aimed their guns at them. However, before they could open fire, Selece Omega appeared from the sky and unleashed its water magic at them.

"Sapphire Whirlwind!"

As Selece summoned magic from its right hand, he swung it at the Sutherlands, knocking all three of them from their left and crashed on top of each other, disabling them.

When the Ryuuzaki couple turned to see Selece, they all gasped that they actually have been saved by a Knightmare that was seen on broadcast from the New World.

"Who are you?!" Mrs. Ryuuzaki asked the pilot of the strange Knightmare. "Why did you save us?"

"Mom! Dad! Its me!" The pilot spoke out loud from inside Selece Omega.

"What?! U-Umi?" Mr. Ryuuzaki exclaimed in a surprising tone, with Mrs. Ryuuzaki standing behind him totally speechless. "B-But how did you...?!"

"It's a long story, dad!" Umi's voice replied from in the blue Knightmare. "I'll explain later! Just run! Hurry!"

Without saying another word, the Ryuuzaki couple went inside the cafe to hide away from the violence unfolding around Mt. Fuji. As for Umi and Selece, they turned around to see another squad of enemy Sutherlands head straight for them. In such dauntless fury, Umi drew their fire away from the cafe that her parents are hiding in before continuing her fight to save her fellow Japanese from getting slaughtered.

In other area, Kuu was trying to hide in the park just to get away from the slaughter of million innocent Japanese citizens. She hid behind a statue of the Britannian Emperor, hoping that the Britannians will not see her from there. Just when Kuu felt relieved that the Britannian Sutherlands are passing by, not paying attention to her presence, one Gloucester appeared right behind her and aimed its Assault Rifle.

"NO! PLEASE NOOOO!" Kuu cried, as she cowered in fear with both arms raised above her head

"DIE ELEVEN!" The pilot of the Gloucester bellowed.

"I THINK NOT!" Another female voice shouted out loud.

Before the Gloucester could fire its weapons at Kuu, Windam Delta shot out an arrow from its Long Bow. In an instant, the arrow magically transformed into a green eagle silhouette. When the eagle struck at the Britannian Gloucester, the Knightmare went spiraling straight into a nearby building crashing through the glass doors, knocking the pilot out cold. After seeing such power appear before her, Kuu turned around to see where the source came from. Her eyes widened as she spotted a strange green Knightmare with eagle-like features approach her. At first, Kuu felt a bit scared on what will that Knightmare is going to do to her. But before Kuu could say anything, the pilot from inside the strange Knightmare addresses her by her name.

"Are you okay, Kuu?!" The female voice spoke from inside Windam Delta.

"That voice! Fuu is that you?!" Kuu gasped after hearing the pilot from the green Knightmare.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it, sis?!" Fuu spoke through Windam.

"Wow! I don't believe it! Fuu, where did you get that Knightmare from?!" Kuu exclaimed in surprise, realizing that she was saved by her younger sister.

"I go a long way back!" Fuu replied. "But right now, you have to find a safe place to hide until this chaos settles down, okay?!"

"Sure. Thank you so much, Fuu!" Kuu acknowledged as she fled inside a nearby building to hide away from the violence and mayhem all over Mt. Fuji.

After Hikaru fought and cut down several more enemy Gloucesters, with three Cephirian Knightmares backing her up, she spots another Gloucester firing an Assault Rifle at the fleeing Japanese citizens. Refusing to see anymore of her people die, Hikaru's Rune God Knightmare ran further from her backup team towards the Gloucester and whacked the Assault Rifle away from its hand with her sword before pointing her blade at the enemy Knightmare.

"Are you Japanese?!" Euphy's voice spoke from inside the Gloucester. "You dare raise a hand against Euphemia li Britannia?!"

"Euphy, please stop this at once!" Hikaru pleaded, refusing to back down from the homicidal princess. "You don't even know what the hell you're doing!"

"Spare me from your excuses, you defiant Japanese!" Euphy retorted in a hostile manner.

Before Hikaru could say anymore, Euphy had the Gloucester pull out its MVS before charging straight at the Knight of Fire without holding back. As Euphy's Gloucester struck at Rayearth Alpha, Hikaru parried every incoming blade attack with her sword, not wanting to deliver any killing blows against the very same princess that wanted to be her friend.

"Ms. Hikaru, we're coming!" Fuu's voice shouted from inside Windam Delta as she drew out her two-handed sword.

As Rayearth's sword clashes against the Gloucester's MVS, Windam intercepted the two and chopped the Gloucester's sword arm with his two-handed sword. In a rage, Euphy fired the Gloucester's Slash Harkens at Windam only to be repelled by Fuu's Wings of Protection spell.

"Those Japanese people have to die. I must hurry!" Euphy muttered as she fired the gun turret below the Gloucester's torso.

"WATER DRAGON!" Umi roared as she unleashed her magic at Euphy's Gloucester.

Umi's spell headed for the Gloucester's legs and upon impact, the Gloucester fell on its sides before it crashed into the hard ground, making the Knightmare incapacitated. Just as Euphy came out of the wrecked Knightmare, she pulled out an SMG and continued to open fire at Rayearth. Despite the gunfire, the Red Rune God did not receive any damage from the SMG's bullets as it stood there unaffected. When Hikaru pointed her finger at Euphy, she shoots out a small, harmless beam of light at the Princess, making her fall on her back unconscious and dropping the SMG in the process.

"Come on guys! We need to take Euphemia into our custody!" Hikaru told Umi and Fuu as she lifted the unconscious princess with Rayearth's hand before teleporting away from Mt. Fuji.

* * *

At the same time when the forces of the Black Knights and Cephiro's Alliance engaged the Britannian Forces, the Lancelot took flight around Mt. Fuji as Suzaku tried desperately to find Princess Euphemia. Unfortunately, all he sees is bloodshed all over the area from inside the cockpit's interface as Britannians were being intercepted. Just when he was about to lose his hope of finding Euphy, he spots her from a distance away only to get captured by Hikaru and the Magic Knights, much to Suzaku's horror.

"HIKARU, NOOOOOOOOO!" Suzaku screamed as he drove the Lancelot at high speed, trying to stop the Flame Knight from taking his princess away.

However, by the time he got closer, it was too late. Hikaru and the Magic Knights disappeared in a flash, the moment Rayearth carried the unconscious princess in his hand.

"EUUUUUUPPPPPPPPHHHHHHHIEEEEEEE!" Suzaku cried as both of the Lancelot's fists slammed on the ground in defeat, fearing that he will never see his beloved princess again.

The only thing Suzaku was able to recover was Euphy's cellphone which was left behind next to the wrecked Gloucester that she was once in.

* * *

After the battle was won against Britannia, confirming the Euphy is taken down, the surviving Japanese citizens were so enraged by the 3rd Britannian Princess' deceit that they started throwing rocks and trash at the Britannian soldiers and Knightmare pilots, while being rounded up and taken in by the Cephirian guardsmen.

Inside the Britannian G-1 base, Tamaki and a group of Black Knights and Cephirian guards took most of its crew prisoner while the enraged Captain of the 2nd squad started throwing punches at a Britannian Nobleman.

"EQUALITY?" Tamaki snarled as he struck at the Nobleman's face and stomach with his fists. "YOU CAN SHOVE THAT STRAIGHT UP YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE ASS!"

While the angry Japanese continued to spat on the genocidal Britannians, the Britannian prisoners were being dragged away by the Cephirian soldiers in chains tied up to their hands and legs. Furthermore, some of the Britannian prisoners are being held up in the warehouses before being executed by Autozamian's firing squads while others are being locked up inside prison cells onboard the Dome of Fahren and Chizeta's Bravada.

As the Britannians met their fate, some of the Japanese citizens were pretty curious on why would the forces of the New World be here to save them than rather invade Area 11. In just a few minutes, Prince Ferio gets out of his Green Ranger Knightmare and makes his announcement back at the stadium where the genocide started at. At the same time, the leaders of all three of Cephiro's allied countries make their appearance on stage behind the Prince of Cephiro.

"Greetings, people of Area 11! Do not be afraid, for we are the friends and allies of all of Japan!" Ferio announced in a regal tone. "Ever since the Magic Knights saved our land, we have all been looking forward to save the very same land that they all have originated from when the Holy Britannian Empire threatened the New World of our dear Cephiro."

After hearing Ferio's speech, the Japanese crowds started cheering for them and the Black Knights due to their undisputed heroism. In just minutes later, Zero, the Black Knight commanders, and the leaders of the Kyoto Houses make their appearance as they walked up to the stage, relieving Ferio of his announcement.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cornelia is about to take flight to meet up with her sister, only to receive a report from Guilford while inside her Gloucester.

"Your highness, we received a report that Mt. Fuji has fallen to the Black Knights and Cephiro's Unified Army!"

"What?!" Corenlia gasped after hearing Guilford report from inside her Gloucester.

"They moved in and intercepted our forces stationed there!" Guilford continued from his channel. "Also, Princess Euphemia and General Darlton are nowhere to be found. They may have been either dead or captured by the enemy!"

"No! Euphy!" Cornelia muttered in horror. She couldn't tell whether to start grieving or getting enraged after learning of the immediate loss of her younger sister. "I bet this is how Hikaru is getting her revenge on us?! Dear God!"

As Cornelia's eyes closed and opened them up for one moment, tears came coming down from her face. In the next minute, Cornelia's eyes narrowed in anger while thinking about the mistakes she made seven years ago. Especially, when she underestimated Hikaru's true nature and the path that she eventually choose right now.

"Sergeant!" Cornelia ordered in a solemn, tone. "Set a course to the Britannian Government Bureau at the Tokyo Settlement!"


	22. Euphy's Exile

Shortly after capturing a Geass-infused Euphemia, the Magic Knights teleported all the way back to Clef's hidden base at the dockhouse which is located on the outskirts of the Tokyo Settlement. As soon as the Magic Knights meet up with the Lancelot Blitz and Topaz's Gloucester outside of the dockhouse, Clef emerged from the abandoned dockhouse, leaving his Archwizard inside. The moment the Rune God Knightmares landed a few feet from Clef, Umi and Fuu disembarked from Selece Omega and Windam Delta. As for Hikaru, she lowered an unconscious Euphy down gently with Rayearth's hand before the Knights of Wind and Water took Euphy all the way to Clef's study.

Knowing what the Master Mage had to do, Clef raised his staff up high to the clouds as he called forth his magic. In an instant, a huge ray of light shined down upon Euphy as a red-purple essence is about to leave her body as it levitated a few feet above the ground. Just when an injured Darlton came out of Lafarga's Knightmare, he walked cautiously up to the scene where Clef's magic ritual is taking place at. Before Darlton could understand what is going on, Umi and Fuu intercepted his path.

"What is he doing?!" Darlton asked, showing concern for the Sub-Viceroy.

"You'll see, Mr. Darlton!" Fuu told the Britannian General. "For now, just let Mr. Clef handle Ms. Euphy!"

As the ritual continued, Clef absorbed the ominous essence into his staff coming out of Euphy's body. Once the essence is obtained, Clef shoots it out from his staff straight into the clear-blue sky. In an instant, the essence evaporated in a silent explosion. Afterwards, Clef uses his staff to gently lower Euphy down to the ground before disengaging his magic.

While Darlton was waiting, Fuu casted her "Wings of Healing" spell on the former Britannian General, making his gunshot wound disappear in an instant. After taking a few deep breaths, Darlton thanked the Knight of Wind in return.

After Clef finished using his staff to drive the unknown evil away from Euphy's body, he went up to General Darlton to make his statement in a clear tone of voice.

"I was able to cleanse your Princess of whatever evil power is possessing her. She'll be okay! For now, we need to let her rest inside the dockhouse."

"Thank you so much, Clef!" Darlton acknowledged as he bowed to the Master Mage out of accepting Clef's gratitude.

"Though, we still need to confirm on what happened back at Mt. Fuji after that horrendous incident!" Clef added in, feeling a bit grim on what the results are after that immediate genocide.

As Clef turned towards the Magic Knights, Lafarga, and Topaz, he waved them all to head inside the dockhouse to hear the latest broadcast from Mt. Fuji. When Hikaru disembarked from Rayearth and is now wearing her lovely Cephirian noblewoman dress, Darlton carried Euphy over his shoulder. Inside the dockhouse, Darlton left the unconscious Euphy lie on top of a mattress in a separate storage room while he and the other six went into the office to watch the latest broadcast on TV.

Just when Hikaru turned on the TV, she sees Zero makes his appearance at the stadium where the genocide started from. At the same time, the people of Japan cheered for Zero, the Black Knights, the Magic Knight Elevens, even though they're not present at the stadium, and Cephiro's Alliance due to their heroism after liberating Mt. Fuji of Britannia. As for Hikaru, Clef, Lafarga, Topaz, Darlton, Umi, and Fuu watched closely at the broadcast, Zero starts his announcement of what has ever become of Euphy and Britannia right now.

"People of Japan and all who were oppressed by the Empire of Britannia! Long have I waited all through the struggles against Britannia's injustices, I have waited from them to come to their senses! But that hope is betrayed by an act of genocide!"

Upon remembering what Euphy had done, the Elevens were totally enraged by such a display of hypocrisy! Without further a due, the angry populace started shouting and protesting against the lies and violence that the 3rd Princess of Britannia has recently caused at the ceremony on their behalf.

"WE'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

"SHE'S A MURDERER!"

"A FILTHY WITCH!

"LIAR!"

As they hear their fellow Japanese citizens this angry, the three Magic Knight Elevens started getting chills over what will ever become of their nation now after the incident they all got involved in. However, they did received a lot of praising from their fellow citizens after the Magic Knights saved them from Britannia and from Euphy. But what no one knows is that the Magic Knights and Clef are hiding Euphy away from the rest of the world.

"Euphemia li Britannia has become a symbol of Britannia's hypocrisy! A murdered cloaked in the face of a nation!" Zero said in a metallic voice as he continued with his announcement in front of the people of Japan.

"I HOPE THAT BITCH BURNS IN HELL!"

"WE'VE HAD IT WITH YOUR LIES!"

"DEATH TO THEM ALL!"

Feeling lost and disappointed that Euphy was not able to help unify Japan, Cephiro, and Britannia for a declaration of peace, the Magic Knights felt heartbroken that they were not able to end the war in Area 11 through a ceremony at Mt. Fuji.

As for Hikaru, she may have trouble in believing that Britannia cannot become fully reformed because of what Euphy had done. However, another part of Hikaru does not wish that all of the Britannian Empire is evil; not after Euphy showed her kindness towards her. Other than that, the Flame Knight could not find any way to convince her fellow Japanese that this is all a big misunderstanding. Unlike Cephiro, Hikaru may need to do more than just convince people to believe in her will.

Just when Hikaru is feeling ashamed of herself that she and her family almost fell into a death trap, Lantis suddenly appeared behind her, making the Fire Knight gasp softly as she felt his hands touch her bare shoulders. The moment Hikaru looked up to face her Magic Swordsman boyfriend, he looked back at her in a solemn expression that he too could not find a way to resolve Euphy's misunderstood behavior, even after Clef took out the evil essence possessing the Britannian Princess. Before either Hikaru or Lantis could say anything to each other, Zero makes his declaration for announce the birth of a nation independent nation for Japan.

"I hereby declare our independence from Britannia. But don't take this as a meaning of the resurrection of your fallen nation. We won't turn back the hands of time. The new Japan we have sought to build will be stated that the strong will not take advantage of the weak. Therefore, our nation shall be declared as THE UNITED STATES OF JAPAN!

Upon hearing the new era of Japan's newly found nation, many Japanese raised their fists up high and cheered for Zero and for their heroes from both Area 11 and from the New World.

After they're done hearing Zero's broadcast, the Magic Knights felt a bit relieved that they're able to be granted a new nation to live under, away from the tyranny of the Britannian Empire. However, it may cost them their friendship with the Britannian students at the Ashford, ensuring that Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu will all become true enemies of the Holy Britannian Empire, along with the Black Knights. However, because Darlton lost command of his forces at Mt. Fuji thanks to Euphy's out-of-control behavior, the General will no longer have anything to do with the Britannians anymore. As Darlton makes his speech in front of the group, the Knight Elevens and their friends turned around to face him.

"I hate to say this guys, but now that I lost control of the occupation at Mt. Fuji, I can no longer face Viceroy Cornelia. Not like this!"

"What are you going to do now, Mr. Darlton?" Fuu asked.

"I'm afraid me and Euphy will have to disappear for a while!" Darlton concluded, feeling ashamed for letting such a bloodbath occurred against his own will. "After all, I did put Lord Guilford in charge of the Glaston Knights if anything were to happen to me out there. Therefore, I don't have anymore rights to command the armies of Britannia. For that, I do want to apologize for everything that occurred in the New World and in Area 11."

"You mean, you're retiring right now?!" Lafarga asked, with his eyes widened with relief.

"I wish I could become someone else than rather just a General commanding Cornelia's armies at Area 11!" Darlton said as he looked down on himself. "I've known Cornelia and Euphy for a very long time. As of now, we do need to fake Euphy's death so that the Elevens, or should I say Japanese, do not come after her out of revenge; not that it has anything to do with the Knight Elevens that were protecting them."

"We all understand, General Darlton!" Umi acknowledged. "Cephiro may be your only bet. Though, you and Euphy still need to change your identities there just to keep a low-profile."

"Sure thing. And by the way, I'm not General Darlton anymore. I'm just Andreas Darlton from now on!" Darlton added in before taking out a map from his uniform. "I'm sure you girls need this before saving the Cephirians!"

As Darlton handed over the map to Lafarga, the Guard Captain of Cephiro unveiled it. After taking a good look at it, Lafarga's eyes widened with surprise.

"Mr. Lafarga, what is it?!" Fuu asked, noticing the Captain's positive reaction.

"This map actually has a code that can be used by Zazu to hack into the defensive systems at the Britannian Government Bureau! With it, we can buy more time for our forces to move in and free our people while their defenses are down." Lafarga told the Magic Knights.

"That's brilliant!" Clef exclaimed before turning to face Darlton. "But why are you...?"

"If the Cephirians that we have captured ended up like those Japanese at Mt. Fuji, there's never going to be any end to the Cephiro-Britannian war that Prince Clovis started. I always wanted them to believe that we could reach an agreement after you guys displayed your honor when challenging us to a fair fight. But because what Euphemia did at Mt. Fuji was dishonorable, I can't bear myself to lead Britannia's forces anymore since she's my responsibility." Darlton said, answering Clef's question. "So Hikaru, if you ever see Princess Cornelia again, please tell her goodbye for me."

"We understand, Darlton!" Hikaru acknowledged.

"Also, please apologize to her and all of my sons for me," Darlton added in.

Before anyone could say anything else to Darlton, Euphy appeared at the doorway outside of the office and sees her sister's advisor standing in front of Hikaru and her friends.

"General, what happened?!" Where am I?" Euphy asked Darlton, feeling confused and lost. "I thought we were about to carry out the ceremony at Mt. Fuji?!"

"Sorry Euphy, but an incident occurred there in which was caused by a group of disobedient Britannian soldiers at the Stadium!" Darlton reluctantly said, not wanting to expose too much about the genocide that the Sub-Viceroy ended up causing. "They tried to kill you, fearing that your so-called Equality will weaken Britannia's society. In the middle of the chaos, the Japanese tried to make a run for it. But it was thanks to Hikaru and her followers that we were able to get you out but not before you were knocked out by a flesh wound that grazed you head."

"No! That can't be!" Euphy muttered in horror. "Does that mean...?"

"I'm afraid the ceremony will not go as planned because of that. It's best that you and Darlton find a safe place to hide in Cephiro until we can hunt down the perpetrators," Hikaru added.

Unknown to Euphy, Hikaru and Darlton made that white lie up just so that she doesn't start panicking over something she didn't really want to do. As Euphy ends up buying it, she asks how will they get to Cephiro from here.

"I may be a Knight of Fire, but I also possess some special powers that Princess Emeraude once had!" Hikaru told Euphy and Darlton. "I'm afraid this is where we will part ways, Euphy."

"Are you sure, Hikaru?" Euphy asked, feeling concerned over the Flame Knight. "What about the happiness that you wanted in your former country?"

"I'll figure something out, after we deal with your killers. For now, you and Darlton will have to leave, so that both of you won't be followed!" Hikaru continued.

"We'll see each other again, won't we?!" Euphy asked, feeling a bit depressed for leaving so soon.

"I can't say for sure!" Hikaru replied in a grim tone. "Only time will tell."

Upon understanding that Euphy has been friends with Hikaru for such a short time, the 3rd Princess ran up to the Fire Knight and embraced Hikaru with her arms out of sadness. At the same time, Umi and Fuu were a bit startled for a moment. However, as tears came down from Euphy's eyes, the Knights of Wind and Water kind of felt sorry for the Britannian Princess. For the rest, they all stood there emotionless. Out of response, Hikaru hugged Euphy back as she let her tears come down from her eyes too.

After a few minutes of embracing each other, they went outside of the dock house, with Umi, Fuu, Lantis, Topaz, Clef, and Darlton following from behind. High above, the sun is setting as its lowering itself. At the same time, the sky turned bright orange, as a sign that the night will come. As they reached the pier, Darlton went up to Euphy before Hikaru raised both of her hands up to her face as if she is calling forth a prayer. Hikaru whispered to herself as her medallion started emitting a glowing yellow orb coming out of her chest. When the Orb flew over the two Britannians, it hovered behind them and revealed a portal leading back to Cephiro.

When Hikaru stopped praying, her bids farewell to Euphy and Darlton as they make their way into the portal. After Darlton disappears into the portal, Euphy turns around to face the Magic Knights and their friends one last time.

"Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, it's been an honor knowing you all. The same goes for Lantis and the other natives of Cephiro!" Euphy said as she made one last smile before heading to the portal.

As Euphy disappeared into the portal leading to Cephiro, the portal disappeared. Afterwards, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu received a text message from their cellphones. When they picked them up to read their messages on their phones, they all said, **"YOU ARE EXPELLED FROM SCHOOL!" -Milly Ashford**. After receiving their messages from the School President, the Magic Knights can only conclude that their cover has been blown and that they'll be treated as terrorists going against the Britannian Empire. However, Clef came up to the three women and sympathized with them.

"At least you girls will concentrate on saving the Cephirians most of the time. In the meantime, let's go meet up with the others back at Mt. Fuji!" Clef suggested to the Magic Knights and his fellow Cephirians. "We have a long night ahead of us and a huge battle that'll decide the fate for our people!"

Without hesitation, the Magic Knights went back inside their Rune God Knightmares and took off into the sunset. As for Clef, Lantis, Topaz, and Lafarga, they went back inside their Knightmares and drove off to their rendezvous, leaving the shipyard for good.


	23. The Black Rebellion

Back at the school, after hearing the latest news on TV concerning the incident at Mt. Fuji, the Ashford Student Council was contemplating if they did the right thing when learning that the Magic Knights abducted Princess Euphemia. As the student members were sulking around in the Council Officer, Rivalz couldn't stop thinking about Hikaru and her Eleven-transfer student friends.

"I still don't get it!" Rivalz muttered. "Why would Hikaru kidnap the Sub-Viceroy for? And importantly, why would Hikaru and her friends be the ones fighting against Britannia as Knight Elevens from the New World? I'm sure there has to be an explanation for all of this!"

"I know, Rivalz!" Milly told the male student council member in annoyance. "Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu have already made their choices."

"Well, I still don't believe they're bad people, despite their true colors and their act of terrorism; not after how they got along with us nicely!" Rivalz continued in a persistent tone.

"Me neither," Milly thought. "They even didn't pose any threat to us during their time in Ashford."

"Face it guys!" Nina shouted at Rivalz and Milly in an angry tone. "I don't think we understood those female Elevens as well as we thought we did. Therefore, they're no longer allowed in this school!"

After hearing an angry Nina shout out loud in the room, Rivalz, Shirley, and Milly all looked at her under a state of shock. Ever since Nina heard about what happened to Euphy on the latest broadcast, the shy female council member made the immediate decision to force Milly to have Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu expelled from the school without consulting this with any of the other student council members.

"Besides, they're just as bad as those JLF ruffians that nearly ruined our tour back then!" Nina muttered as she stormed out of the office.

As the night sky appeared above Area 11, gunfire and angry shoutings erupted from all over Mt. Fuji. After Zero's announcement to unify Japan as an independent nation, the Black Knights expanded as the largest insurgent force. Much to the horror of the Britannian Government Officials at the Government Bureau, they discovered that the insurgents are on a rampage and are heading to the Tokyo Settlement, with Zero leading the attack. On the way there, various resistance groups joined up with the Black Knights, hijacking every battle tank and Knightmare Frame they can find, as well as arming the angry mobs with guns and melee weapons.

For the Armies of the New World, they made preparations for the final battle that will determine the fate of Area 11 and their homeland. Ever since Euphy gave out that genocidal order at Mt. Fuji, the ceasefire that she issued between the Cephirians and the Britannians is no longer intact. With that said, Cephiro is now at war with the Britannian Empire again. Thanks to the Black Knights, the Cephirians were able to gain the support they needed to launch their assault at the Britannian Government Bureau. From the bridge of the NSX, Geo watched the Japanese rioters accompanying the Black Knights inside their makeshift G-1 base, venturing through the war-torn city in the outskirts of the Tokyo Settlement. Behind him, Zazu and a platoon of Autozamian Marines stood up for attention before their commander. The moment Geo turned around to face his fellow crew, they all saluted at first sight.

"At ease, men!" Geo ordered as they all lowered their hands. "Zazu, what's the situation with the Magic Knights?"

"They on their way back to the Tokyo Settlement, sir!" Zazu reported in. "We just received word from Clef that they're sending in some data about the Government Bureau from our message inbox!"

After hearing Zazu's report, Geo went next to the young mechanic's computer and pulled up a secret file from Clef's email coming from his Knightmare. When the second screen appeared before Geo's eyes, it shows the code: "Empire11Sparks" which is seen under the Bureau's defense network.

"Way to go, Master Mage!" Geo muttered in delight.

"Geo! This is Captain Lafarga!" A voice spoke out from the communication network on the command bridge. "Do you read me?! Over!"

"Captain Lafarga, this is Geo Metro!" The commander spoke as he put on his communicating headphones. "Are you with the Magic Knights?!"

"Positive!" Lafarga spoke through Geo's headphones. "Is my men ready?!"

"Yes, they are!" Geo replied. "They'll be waiting for you and Topaz at the rendezvous! We also got the information that Clef has sent us!"

"Understood!" Lafarga acknowledged. "We also received word from Zero to have us prepare for the final battle at the Tokyo Settlement and wait for his signal. Colonel Tohdou and his men will accompany us during the assault there! During the fight, have Zazu hack into the Bureau's defense systems and disable them. This may give us time for us to free our people, secure the Sakuradite Gateway stationed next to the Bureau, and send our people back to Cephiro. Also, we do need someone else to close that gate behind us once we finish this mission."

"Copy that!" Geo responded as he turned to face Zazu, taking off his headphones.

"Zazu, get working on that code!" Geo ordered the mechanic.

"Roger that!" Zazu replied as he went back to his computer.

"Soldiers of Autozam, ready the guns! Get my GTO ready for combat!" Geo ordered as he makes his way off the bridge. "Prepare for battle stations!"

"SIR, YES SIR!" The Autozamians saluted in unison as they went to their posts throughout the Battleship NSX.

Back on board the Avalon, Suzaku parked his Lancelot in the hangar and disembarked. As Suzaku landed on the floor, he went to his private quarters and sat down on top of his bunk bed. As he took out his knight badge and stared at it, along with Euphy's cellphone, Suzaku started crying in silent as his eyes closed, with tears coming down from them.

"Oh Euphy, I don't understand!" Suzaku sobbed as his tears fell down on top of the Princess' cellphone. "Why did she gave out that order at the stadium? And why did Hikaru take her away from me?"

After a few minutes of wallowing in self-pity for not saving Euphy from Hikaru, the doors leading from the corridors opened up.

"Go away, Lloyd! I'm not in a mood right now!" Suzaku sniveled, unable to look up towards the open door.

"Are you okay, Suzaku Kururugi?" The unknown voice spoke.

"I SAID GO...!" Suzaku snapped as he finally looked up to where the voice is coming from.

Unfortunately, Suzaku stopped his ranting before it even started as he looked at a young person for whom he's not familiar with. At the door, the person revealed himself to be a young man with long, blonde hair touching the ground behind him and dark pink eyes. Unknown to everyone, that he is actually 60 years old but only in the appearance of a 10-year old boy due to his immortality. After taking a closer look at the young man, Suzaku nearly took his rage out on him by accident.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry about that, I thought you were Lloyd! But seriously, who are you?!"

"My name is V.V!" The immortal boy answered. "I may know some good reasons that led to those ominous outcomes that you're elaborating just now!"

As the three Cephirians and the Magic Knights reached their rendezvous at the outskirts of the Tokyo Settlement, they safely landed inside a huge dome-like building ruins. Not a moment too soon, Ferio and the rest of the Cephirian guardsmen came out from the shadows before greeting their saviors and their commanders behind him. Without further a due, the Cephirian Army formed up in a full battle formation with their Gloucester-customized Knightmares stationed in both their left and right wings. In addition, the Green Ranger, Smitherite, and the Dancing Siren are stationed in the center wing of the formation, while the rest of the guardsmen are left in reserve, behind the two Knightmare formations.

The moment Ferio approached the Magic Knight trio, they disembarked from their Rune Gods. For Ferio, he disembarked from his Green Ranger and embraced Fuu in his arms out of relief that she is doing okay.

"So Fuu, I take it you guys dealt with that crazy Britannian Princess?" Ferio asked.

"Why yes, indeed!" Clef said as he came out of his Archwizard and answered Ferio's question. "I still think something doesn't seem right with the way Euphemia acted!"

"Let's not dwell on that anymore, Clef!" Ferio grunted in disappointment. "We still have our mission to carry out in the Tokyo Settlement. The Black Knights are paving way for us as they're preparing to capture several buildings surrounding the Bureau during the assault. We are to meet up with the Black Knight main force before they push through the front lines."

"I understand, Ferio." Clef acknowledged. "We'll hold our ground until we receive word that Zazu has disabled the defensive systems at the Bureau. Once they're disabled, our Cephirian Army will push forward while the Black Knights follow from behind and cover our escape routes back to the New World. Our allied ships will provide air support against the Britannian Air force."

"Are you Magic Knights ready for this?!" Ferio asked the three Eleven Knights who were standing behind Clef.

"We do need to make amends with our parents first before we head out into battle once more!" Hikaru said, with Umi and Fuu nodding in agreement.

"Well, don't take too long!" Lafarga warned them from inside the Lancelot Blitz. "We need your aid as soon as Zazu shuts down the Bureau's defenses."

After heeding Lafarga's advice, the Magic Knights went back into their Rune Gods to meet up with their parents who were part of the angry mob of Japanese.

As the mob stormed though the streets of the Shinjuku Getto, they armed themselves with all sorts of blunt weapons, ranging from baseball bats to iron pipes, and handguns to shotguns. At the same time, the Britannian Riot Police appeared in several shield line formations armed with riot shields and handguns, along with a dozen Knightpolice Knightmares armed with machine pistols and riot shields. However, despite all their efforts to drive the angry Japanese populace away, the Riot Police were being bombarded by the enemy battle tanks and Burais coming from behind the mob, forcing the response teams to fallback deep within the city ruins.

Unfortunately, the mob wasn't done yet as they charged forward destroying everything in their path and beating policemen who were separated from their formation, to death while going after. While the mob moved forward, the three Shidou brothers were battering on one Riot Policemen with big wrenches while holding onto his shield up close to his face.

"How dare you try to kills us, you damn prick!" Masaru shouted as he tried to grab the riot shield away from the downed officer.

As they finally pried the riot shield away from the officer's hands, Mr. Shidou and Mrs. Shidou held him down, restraining both of his arms before Kakeru attempts to finish him off with a gun that he grabbed from the officer's holster. Without hesitation, Kakeru shoved the gun at the officer's head and with just one click from the trigger, the shot rang out and drilled in the officer's skull. After shooting him in the head, making the dead officer collapse onto his side, Rayearth appeared behind them and kneeled before the Shidou family.

"Hikaru, I'm so glad you're okay!" Mrs. Shidou cried in happiness as she hugged her daughter, the moment Hikaru disembarked from her Knightmare. "I missed you. We all did!"

"I'm missed you too, mom!" Hikaru muttered as she hugged her mother back.

"We thought we would never see you again!" Mr. Shidou added as he hugged Hikaru too, before he looked at Rayearth and back at Hikaru. "I mean, what happened to you after all those years? And where did you get that Knightmare from?"

"It's a long story, dad!" Hikaru told Mr. Shidou.

"Man, that was amazing from what you did back at stadium!" Kakeru exclaimed in excitement towards his little sister. "Though, its hard to believe that a Knightmare would start shooting out strange powers at the Britannians than rather use guns instead."

"How did you do all that?!" Masaru asked in surprise.

"I learned all of this from the New World!" Hikaru said, in a summarizing tone. "And this Knightmare with me is Rayearth."

" **Thine is a pleasure to meet the parents of bearer**!" Rayearth spoke in a metallic voice, surprising the Shidous in front.

"Wow!" Kakeru said in shock, realizing that Hikaru's Knightmare can actually talk."This is so cool!"

"I knew there will be a day that our beloved daughter would finally grow up!" Mr. Shidou thought before turning his attention towards Hikaru. "Though, we didn't think you would inherit something as unbelievable as this!"

"Why didn't you tell us any of this?" Masaru asked Hikaru, feeling a bit astonished on what has she been through.

"Everything I did up to this point only existed in the New World," Hikaru explained to her brothers and her parents. "However, it was thanks to our mentor Clef that I'm able to use what I learned in the New World to help defend our homeland from Britannia. I thought you wouldn't understand, however, since everything that I did in the New World wouldn't work here, until now that is."

"It's alright, my dear!" Mrs. Shidou told her daughter. "We all knew that you'd come back for us to face your past."

"Besides, I met people in the New World who need a hero that is worth inspiring!" Hikaru continued.

"What are you going to do now?" Satoru asked the young Flame Knight.

"When Britannia attacked the New World, they captured some of its natives residing there and held them prison at the Bureau!" Hikaru said, briefly. "They may need my help once more!"

"Hikaru, I don't know what to say, but you've been a very reckless, young lady ever since you started taking Kendo lessons from both our school and in Tohdou's school! In most cases, you were always helping out others before yourself, making us worry." Satoru summarized before getting straight to the point. "And for that, you made us all proud of you!"

"Thanks, Satoru!" Hikaru replied with a smile on her face as Kakeru and Masaru hugged her at the same time.

"Other than that, we heard about you from Princess Euphemia!" Mrs. Shidou said. "Though, it's a shame that Euphy turned her back on us, after she promise to free us from their enslavement!"

"Anyway, we're also grateful that you took care of that deceiver," Mr. Shidou said as he patted Hikaru's head softly in congrats.

However, Hikaru knew from Clef that there may be a good reason why Euphy acted genocidal after speaking to Zero in private. Since Hikaru doesn't know how to explain that Euphy isn't what she seemed and that she sent the princess to the New World along with her advisor, she decided to keep this quiet by saying something that wouldn't arouse suspicion.

"I know." Hikaru acknowledged her father's praise. "She won't be hurting us again. Though my actions have resulted in my expulsion from Ashford."

"We don't care about that either," Mr. Shidou said to Hikaru. "We always knew it was a mistake for you to get pressed into that wretched Britannian School anyway."

"And if it's true that you have friends from the New World you actually cared about, we won't get in your way!" Kakeru said, making Hikaru felt relieved that she isn't going to get nagged again after being the youngest in the Shidou Family. "However, just try to be careful out there. Britannia isn't going to let you off unchallenged, since you and your friends have already caused a ruckus in their presence."

"I understand, brother!" Hikaru said, feeling self-confident in herself as she left her embrace with her brothers.

"And Rayearth, please watch over our daughter okay?" Mrs. and Mr. Shidou said in unison as they looked up to the Red Knightmare.

" **You have thy word, Madam!"** Rayearth bellowed in a positive tone before facing Hikaru again. " **Hikaru, thou will be the time to save natives of thy world!"**

After hearing Rayearth speak to her, Hikaru turned towards her Rune God Knightmare, donning her Magic Knight Armor. As she approached her Knightmare, Hikaru made one last look at her family before going out into battle once more.

"And by the way, you look really lovely in that armor, Hikaru!" Mrs. Shidou smiled, making her daughter blush in bright crimson.

"Thanks, mom!" Hikaru reluctantly said before going back inside her Rune God.

"I can't help but imagine how great she was with that strange Knightmare!" Mr. Shidou thought as he held his wife in his right arm.

"I know, right?!" Mrs. Shidou replied as a single tear came out of her eye, feeling happy for Hikaru.

As Rayearth flew up in mid-air, Kakeru and Masaru ran as they shouted and waved goodbye to their little sister. At the same time, Hikaru looked down towards her brothers and her parents as she smiled at them before wiping her tears from her eyes.

When Umi and Selece hovered in mid-air, they went by to meet up with her parents at the mansion she lived in. At first, Umi could find where they're at, but in just a few minutes later she sees them waving at her from the balcony of the mansion. As Selece landed on the ground floor, Umi came out to meet her parents one last time.

"Umi, what happened to you?!" Mrs. Ryuuzaki asked, feeling astonished upon seeing Umi's blue Knightmare appear in front of her. "We didn't get the chance for you to explain yourself."

"You probably wouldn't understand even if I explained all of this to you!" Umi replied in a serious tone.

"It seems that you're actually able to do something very independent in your life!" Mr. Ryuuzaki said in surprise. "But, if you think we didn't understand what you have been through, we wouldn't consider you as a real woman, would we?!"

"Seriously?!" Umi replied, feeling a bit ecstatic.

"Your display of independence is what makes you more admirable than just being raised by a former rich family that was being controlled by a mighty Empire," Mrs. Ryuuzaki added in. "Besides, it won't matter what path you take, whether it is in Area 11 or outside of Area 11, we'll always be by your side."

"Thanks, mom!" Umi smiled a bit before she heard a loud thump coming from behind her.

The moment Umi turned towards the source, she spotted a weird Knightmare appear before her. It was a similar prototype to that of Kallen's Guren except that the Knightmare Frame has a solid, grey tungsten armor plating and head with green linings. For both of its arms, they're equipped with strange, metal claws similar to the Guren's Radium Claw. However, instead of red, they both have a purple circular orb in the middle of each metal claw and a small, one-barrel rocket pod on top of their wrists. On top of its shoulders, they're both equipped with Staffen missile launchers similar to those used by the Sutherlands and Gloucesters, except they're loaded with a salvo of 10 micro missiles in each launcher. Before Umi could say anything about the new Knightmare, she heard a familiar voice coming from inside its cockpit.

"Hey, Umi! How do you like my new Knightmare?!"

"Ascot, is that you?!" Umi asked in a surprising tone of voice.

"Ascot?" Both of Umi's parents muttered in unison.

"Yes, it's me!" Ascot spoke to Umi as he opened up the cockpit of the white-green Knightmare. "Sorry to drop in during your family reunion, but I'd like you to meet "Monolith!"

"Monolith?!" Umi exclaimed. "That sounds grim!"

"Hey Umi, is he your boyfriend?" Mr. Ryuuzaki cackled, making his daughter blush madly.

"What?! Well, I...um!" Umi gasped, feeling embarrassed with herself. "D-Dad, please! You're embarrassing me! Besides, he's one of the natives from the New World."

"It's alright, Umi!" Mr. Ryuuzaki continued. "If you already met someone like him that would support you, there's no reason to deny it."

"Your father is right, Umi!" Mrs. Ryuuzaki added in.

"Well, she did save me from my foolish behavior back in the world that I came from." Ascot told Umi's parents, scratching the back of his head as it turned slightly red. "There won't be anything that I can't do for her in return!"

"I do have to help out my friends in Area 11!" Umi told her parents. "I came a very long way just to protect everyone I cared about."

"We won't stop you as long as you have something to live for, because we all love you very much Umi!" Mrs. Ryuuzaki told her daughter.

"Thanks you, mom!" Umi smiled as she looked down at herself for a few seconds.

"Anyway, Ascot is it?!" Mr. Ryuuzaki said as he turned to face the Palu Summoner above him. "Promise us you'll look after our daughter okay?!"

"You have my word, sir!" Ascot replied in a confident tone of voice. "Come on, Umi! We have no time to lose!"

As Ascot went back into his Monolith Knightmare, Umi approached Selece. Before she embarked onto her Rune God, Umi turns around to face her parents one last time.

"I'll be back once this is all over, okay?!" Umi told her parents.

"Just try to be careful out there, okay hon?" Mrs. Ryuuzaki said to Umi.

After Umi nodded her head, she went back inside her Rune God and took off with Ascot following her while driving his Monolith Knightmare.

"I do believe those two make a perfect couple, don't you think?" Mrs. Ryuuzaki told her husband, referring to Umi and Ascot.

"Yeah! He does remind me of myself when I first met you!" Mr. Ryuuzaki said as he smiled at his wife.

After looking at each other for a few seconds, the Ryuuzaki couple looked up to the sky as they see their grown-up daughter fly off in a distance with her Rune God Knightmare.

After pelting several rocks at a nearby Britannian nobleman who is trying to flee the riot, Kuu was able to take him down only to let the other Eleven insurgents grab the nobleman and beat him repeatedly on the ground. While Kuu glared at the downed nobleman, she hears a loud whoosh coming from behind her.

The moment Kuu turned around, she sees Fuu appear before her in her Magic Knight armor.

"Wow Fuu!" Kuu exclaimed in awe upon seeing her younger sister once again. "It really was you back at Mt. Fuji, wasn't it?! Though, I didn't know you're actually able to fight back against the Britannian Empire with this! Other than that, you look really lovely in that armor dress."

"Oh, it was nothing Kuu!" Fuu said as she slightly blushed admirably. "I just wanted to make amends with you first before I help my friends save the natives from the New World."

"How long have you been doing this?" Kuu asked, expressing her curiosity towards Fuu.

"I've been fighting like this for three years but only in the New World!" Fuu replied as her blush started to fade away. "That isn't until Mr. Clef gave us the ability to adapt to our powers in our homeland just to save our people from the Empire."

"I always knew that one day you were able to do something on your own without me helping out, like any elder sister would." Kuu said as she looked up to the sky smiling. "I heard you were expelled from school because of what happened at Mt. Fuji. Well, I wish that there would be another school where we Japanese can attend to without being governed by those corrupted Britannian government officials."

"I know, I never was able to fit right in that place anyway!" Fuu muttered in annoyance. "Once this is all over, I'd like to go to a school where both Japanese and Britannians can get along without segregation, along with Ms. Hikaru and Ms. Umi."

"But no matter, I'm grateful you were able to stand up for me at Mt. Fuji!" Kuu grinned. "So Fuu, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes because I already met a very handsome, young man in the New World!" Fuu told her elder sister. "Since I fell in love with him, I'll do anything to impress him, as well as fighting for his sake."

"That's good to hear, Fuu" Kuu told her younger sister. "By the way, I want you to have this!"

Before Fuu could say anything, Kuu took out her childhood picture that shows her and Fuu when they're both little. As Fuu politely took the picture from Kuu she sees it for a while and smiled at her sister in return. When Fuu rotated the picture around, she sees a small writing on the back of it.

The writing on the back of the picture says, _"Sisters to the end! -Fuu and Kuu."_

"Please, come back soon, Fuu!" Kuu begged her young sister.

"You know I will, sis!" Fuu replied as they both hugged each other.

After they're embrace, Fuu lets go of Kuu and goes back onboard her Rune God Knightmare.

"I will return someday, Kuu!" Fuu said with a determining voice from inside her Knightmare. "You have my word! Farewell!"

As Windam Delta ascended into the night sky, Kuu watched it disappear from a distance while smiling to herself.

"Fuu, I hope will see each other again!" Kuu muttered to herself as she disappeared into the shadows of the alleyways during the riot.

* * *

Inside Euphy's room at the Government Bureau, Cornelia couldn't help but stare at the picture above the fireplace, with grief in her eyes while sitting down on the floor. The picture shows herself and Euphy when they're both young. In addition, it had portrayed a young Cornelia giving a crown of blue flowers to put on top of the head of a young Euphy. In the surroundings of the two sisters, the picture's background is filled flowers, grass, and trees.

In her mind, Cornelia doesn't know if she were to get revenge on the very same Eleven whose life she had ruined seven years ago or to desperately search and rescue her lost sister that immediately vanished from Mt. Fuji; or maybe do both. After looking at the picture above her, Cornelia stared at both of her hands for a few seconds before they closed tightly into fists. Just like that, Cornelia stood up on both of her legs and left Euphy's room.

In the hallways, the Glaston Knights stood up for attention from the Viceroy of Area 11. As Cornelia approached them, she makes her announcement to the five warriors of Darlton.

"Glaston Knights, prepare to stand by at the Government Bureau! We're going to engage the Cephirian Army, the Black Knights, and their followers. Have all anti-air defenses setup and ready to fire at the ships from the New World!"

"Yes, your majesty!" The Glaston Knights acknowledged in unison.

After issuing out orders to the Glaston Knights, Cornelia makes her way into the conference room. As Cornelia enters the room, she overhears Guilford and the Representatives of Britannia discussing the options of fleeing the Tokyo Settlement due to the unstoppable riots heading straight for them.

"Don't panic, everyone!" Cornelia ordered in a calm, intense voice. "I've put the Glaston Knights on stand-by and ordered them to setup anti-air defenses around the Bureau. Place all forces to the outskirts of Tokyo. We can end this; we just need to stop the Magic Knight Elevens and Zero! If we do this, the armies of the Black Knights and the New World will fall apart!"

"Yes, your highness!" Guilford replied as he carried out orders to the remaining forces in the Tokyo Settlement at will.

* * *

As the Black Knights went first to take out several of Britannia's defensive lines, the Cephirian Army marched in from behind Zero's main force, with Ferio's, Lantis', and Lafarga's Knightmares taking the lead. Caldina's, Presea's, Clef's, and Topaz's Knightmares are being prepped inside Zero's G-1 Base for battle.

Above the G-1 Base, the NSX, the Bravada of Chizeta, and the Dome of Fahren are taking flight once again as the forces inside their designated ships are preparing for the final battle that will change all of Area 11 forever.

When the Magic Knights finally arrived at the G-1 Base, they all disembarked from their Knightmares upon landing on top of the mobile fortress and looked out into the distance. Up ahead, they can see the red lights coming from Britannian Government Bureau and its surroundings.

"So this is it, guys!" Hikaru told Umi and Fuu. "This may be our final battle in Area 11!"

"I know, Ms. Hikaru!" Fuu replied in an anxious tone. "I hope Ms. Aska and the others are ready for this too!"

"Well, I already received word that the Bravada and the Dome of Fahren will give us air-support just as soon as we charge forward to the Bureau!" Hikaru informed.

"Let's do this for our loved ones!" Umi said with determination. "And let this be the hour where we will all draw swords together!"

"Umi's right, guys!" Hikaru acknowledged. "It's now or never!"

In less than a minutes, Ascot's Knightmare appeared right next to the G-1 Base as it stood right next to the Lancelot Blitz and the Black Crusader. The moment Ascot's Monolith halted, the Guren, the Gekkas, and all of the Cephirian Knightmares disembarked from the G-1 Base as they all drew out there weapons, readying themselves for the final battle.

"So Rakshata, are you sure that the Monolith will still bring out my other friends from the other side?" Ascot said, feeling a bit lost in adapting to a combat role that's not part of his Summoner abilities.

"There's always the first time for everything!" Rakshata spoke from Ascot's intercom. "Besides, I'm able to study carefully on how the locals from the New World can use their combat skills when resorting to Knightmare combat. In fact, it's thanks to Autozam's mechanized, technological resources that I'm able to create the Knightmares for the Cephirians to use, especially yours!"

"We're grateful that you where on our side!" Ascot said to the Head of the Researcher and Developer. "I guess it's more progressive than rather just relying on Rune Gods in Cephiro. No offense, Umi!"

"None taken!" Umi said as she spoke from inside Selece Omega. "If it hadn't been for Rakshata's work, we Magic Knights would've been outnumbered from a hundred to one."

As Zero's Gawain appeared into the sky, ascending from the G-1 Base, he makes his announcement towards the forces of Britannia.

"HEAR ME, BRITANNIA! This is Zero, a rebel against oppressors who abuse their power. We'll wait until midnight. You have until then to surrender to me. This will be your final warning! 12:00 midnight; not a single second later!"

When Hikaru went back inside her Rune God Knightmare and ascended up into the air with Selece and Windam, she looked at the clock from her cellphone, she sees that it is 11:57pm, which is three minutes before midnight. While waiting, Hikaru was thinking about everything that happened until now; how she met and faced off Cornelia as a Magic Knight, when she learned about Suzaku's true colors and his role as Euphy's Knight, and how she kidnapped Cornelia's sister just to stop the genocide at Mt. Fuji. She couldn't help but feel a chill crawling down her spine, for Hikaru is uncertain on how will the battle end. Will the battle end in a loss, win, or a stalemate? Will her liberation for Area 11 and Cephiro be the last thing Hikaru will ever do as a Knight fighting for the New World? Will she face death or survival when facing Cornelia and her forces one last time? Will her friends survive the final battle in Area 11 as well?

Other than that, Hikaru isn't sure if she did the right thing for Euphy after sending her to Cephiro, away from the destruction that she caused unwillingly.

"Hey Hikaru, are you feeling okay over there?!" Geo asked as his GTO appeared right next to her and the Magic Knights.

"Well, I uh..." Hikaru stammered while sweating underneath her breath, making her snap out of her past thoughts.

"It's not about what happened back at Mt. Fuji is it?!" Geo continued. "Just be grateful that you didn't choose what that kid Suzaku did. I mean, you were hailed as a hero too when saving all those innocent bystanders at the stadium; they said it themselves. Besides, we all have came a very long way in saving your world from the corrupted Empire of Britannia."

"I know where you're getting at, Geo!" Hikaru acknowledged the Autozamian's praise. "I still think something bad happened between Euphy and Zero that made her flip out like that. It may be just like what happened when we were forced to face off Princess Emeraude after we took down Zagato. But in this scenario, I'm having serious doubts of Euphy being just as crazy as Emeraude."

"Think nothing of it, Hikaru!" Geo told the Flame Knight in a confident tone. "She was a huge disappointment and played us all for fools in the end! Anyway, are you ready to lead us to the battlefield once more?!"

"Yes, I am!" Hikaru said as she looked at Cornelia's Gloucester in a distance. "Cornelia, its time to end this!"

When Cornelia's Knightmare appeared into the fray behind her battalion of Britannian Knightmares and Battle Tanks at the outskirts of Tokyo, her personal Gloucester is now equipped with a high-powered electrical rifle with a sling holstered behind its back. In addition, Cornelia's Gloucester has two MVS in both of its sheaths. Though, Cornelia still has her Assault Rifle and Jousting Lance as part of her primary weapons. As Hikaru glared at Cornelia's Knightmare, Cornelia was able to spot Rayearth Alpha in a distance from the interface inside her cockpit, glaring at the Flame Knight too.

"Hikaru Shidou, you will rue the day that you have defied the might of the Holy Britannian Empire for the last time!" Cornelia snarled at Hikaru's Knightmare, which is hovering above more than a 100 meters above ground and several kilometers away from her position. "For that, I shall rid Area 11 of the Magic Knight Elevens and Zero once and for all! When I'm done with that, I'll venture into Cephiro once again and save my little sister, Euphy!"

But before Cornelia or her forces were able to make their move against the Black Knights, the Magic Knights, or any of their followers, the clock has finally struck midnight. In an instant, the ground below Cornelia's battalion suddenly collapsed.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Cornelia gasped as she sees the ground collapse below the her Gloucester's feet, along with most of her troops.

As the floorings fell apart, the battle tanks were plummeting to the ground and exploded upon impact.

At the same time, when several of the air transports tried to take off, they accidentally ran into the jutting floor boards and exploded as they were unable to climb above them. In addition, the air transports that were still in the sky were getting slammed in by the collapsing floors while several of them attempted to veer away from it all.

For the Britannian Knightmares, some of them fired off their Slash Harkens at several objects that weren't falling down along with the plummeting floorings, just to hoist themselves back up and evade crashing into the ground below them.

As the forces of the New World and the Black Knights saw what was happening on the other side of the Tokyo Settlement, they couldn't help but feel a bit surprised that the Britannian Forces went in disarray.

"No way!" Umi gasped in awe. "Did that flooring area just collapsed all of a sudden?"

"You have to face the facts, Umi!" Tamaki said while inside his Burai. "That Zero dude never ceases to amaze us!"

After seeing the floors collapse, the Cephirian Knightmares drew out their weapons while the Green Ranger makes his announcement to the entire battalion.

"That is the signal everyone!" Ferio announced from inside his Green Knightmare. "Get to the prisoners. WE WILL FREE OUR PEOPLE!"

As the Green Ranger drew out his huge scimitar, Ferio bellows out his orders to his fellow Cephirian Warriors piloting their Gloucesters, with one of them raising Cephiro's banner up high and swung it left and right.

"CHARGE!" Ferio shouted as he steered his Green Ranger straight into the crippled enemy lines, with the Lancelot Blitz, Dancing Siren, and the Monolith rallying by his side.

At the same time, the Cephirian Gloucesters readied their spears and lances as they charged forward to ram the Britannian Knightmares head on. As for the Magic Knights, they flew forwards with their swords drawn, above their friends, before preparing to engage the Britannians at will.

* * *

Meanwhile inside the NSX, Prince Clovis pulled out a small emp device from underneath his sleeves and slammed it onto the door lock of the cell that he is in. Upon impact, the doors received a small electrical shock that made them open up immediately. As Clovis slowly peered his head up forward, he looked both left and right to make sure there are no guards nearby. In silence, Clovis snuck around in the shadows of the corridors trying to figure out what is going on around him. Eventually, Clovis stumbled into the armory and found a several autozamian marine uniforms inside an open locker, along with a helmet and goggles hanging on a shelf above the uniform. Without hesitation, Clovis replaced his regal clothing and disguised himself as an Autozamian Marine in order to blend in. In addition, he armed himself with an assault rifle and grabbed a communicator which was located next to the door. After he stuffed his clothing inside the locker, Clovis closed it and left the armory in a full disguise. While investigating on what's going on inside and outside of the NSX, Clovis kept under a low-profile by not attracting too much attention from the other Autozamians who were manning their stations all over the ship.

Back at the bridge, while Zazu was working on hacking into the Bureau's defense systems at the bridge on his computer, Clovis appeared at the door behind the young mechanic. As Clovis looked closely at what Zazu is doing on the computer and at the huge screen in front of him, he just realized that the young mechanic is attempting to sabotage the Bureau for he noticed familiar layouts of the Bureau's exterior at the Tokyo Settlement.

While trying to come up with a plan, Clovis sees the map of the NSX's interior layout on the wall at his right and spotted the generators powering up the battleship at the lower levels. With it, Clovis came up with a brilliant idea of trying to stop Zazu from digging into the Bureau's defensive network. While using the map to direct him around the NSX, Clovis finds an empty room to hide in, adjacent to the armory. As soon as Clovis entered the room, he pointed the assault rifle in making sure there are no guards sleeping or off-duty before sealing the door shut behind him. When Clovis put the communicator onto the table in front of him, he calibrated the channel in redirecting to the Britannian Communication Line at the Bureau.

"Can anyone hear me?" Clovis whispered through the communicator. "This is Prince Clovis of the Holy Britannian Empire. Please respond immediately. I don't have much time!"

After a few seconds of waiting for a reply, a voice finally came out!"

"Clovis, is that you?! What happened? We thought you have been captured!"

"There's no time to explain!" Clovis said silently back to his respondent. "Listen, I need backup in order to take this ship down. They're planning to sabotage the Government Bureau in Area 11!"


	24. Battle of Area 11

Chapter 24: Battle of Area 11

"I'm not beaten yet!" Cornelia growled as she fired her Gloucester's Slash Harkens 25 feet above her head and hoisted herself away from the collapsing rubble.

During the collapse of the upper floors, the dust settled in while most of the surviving Britannian Knightmares struggled to get to higher ground. After several minutes have past, the remaining Britannian forces where able to pick themselves back up. However, several of the Britannian Knightmares were crippled by their legs as its pilots were suffering from severe head injuries while inside their cockpits, much to Cornelia's concern. After Cornelia reached to a safe spot away from the rubble, she sees most of her men trying to maintain their formation while moving away from the rubble that they got caught in.

"Is everyone okay?!" Cornelia asked most of her men.

As the Britannian Knightmares regrouped, they responded with a positive gesture that they're fine. However, the battle between Britannia, Cephiro, and Japan is yet to go underway. Guilford spots the encroaching Cephirians making their move towards them.

"Cornelia, its the Cephirian Army!" Guilford shouted, alarming the rest of her men.

The moment Cornelia turned her Gloucester around she sees Cephirian customized Knightmares charging forward, with their cavalry regiments following from behind their main force.

"Have the Glaston Knights escort the wounded out of this wreckage and retreat to the Bureau!" Cornelia ordered at the top of her lungs. "Those who are still able to stay and fight, follow me! IN THE NAME OF THE HOLY BRITANNIAN EMPIRE, ATTACK!"

As Cornelia's Gloucester drew out her lance, she charged forward with Guilford by her side and with a battalion of Britannian Knightmares following her. Just when the two mighty Armies are about to converge, Ferio orders his men to fire first up close and in person.

"NOW MEN!"

"FIRE!" One of the Cephirian Gloucesters bellowed as he aimed the Knightmare's wrist-mounted bolt caster at the enemy up front.

With just one shot, the anti-knightmare crossbow bolt flew straight at one Britannian Knightmare and penetrated its tungsten armor before it exploded and collapsed.

"TAKE THEM DOWN!"

Several other Cephirian Gloucesters fired their bolt casters at the enemy, taking several Britannian Knightmares down, before drawing out their swords and spears. At the same time, the Britannian Knightmares returned fire with their Assault Rifles as they shot down several Cephirian Knightmares while pushing forward. As soon as the Cephirians clashed into the Britannians in Knightmare combat, they traded killing blows at each other. In the ensuing fight, the two opposing armies stabbed and blasted each other apart with their weapons left and right. Behind the Cephirian battalion, the Black Knights led by Colonel Tohdou marched forward, while carrying out orders to the other Black Knight formations to their designated areas for capture and control.

During the fight, Ascot's Monolith unleashed a barrage of Staffen missiles at 6 enemy Sutherlands, obliterating them and reducing the Knightmares to rubble. After shooting out his missiles, the Monolith raised both of its Radium Claws up and opened up two purple, swirling warp gates at once. Before any of the Britannian pilots could see what was the Monolith doing, Ascot's pet beasts appeared once again. This time, they dissected two Sutherlands with their strong hands and arms before Griffore and Insectoid moved on. Just when one enemy Sutherland closed in on Ascot, the Monolith grabbed the Sutherland by its face with its right Claw and hurled it at a nearby ruined building on his left, making it crash into another Britannian Surtherland.

While the Black Crusader, the Green Ranger, and the Smitherite fought and took down several enemy Sutherlands with their swords and ranged weapons, the Black Knights opened fire with their Assault Rifles and Staffen Missiles at the encroaching Britannian Knightmares heading towards them. Up ahead, they see Lord Guilford's Knightmare impale a Cephirian Gloucester with his Jousting Lance before a squad of 5 Gloucesters rallied around him in a spear formation.

During the fight below them, the ships of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren immediately engaged the Britannian Fleet that is approaching the Tokyo Settlement in hopes of bombing their allied forces below them. As the ships opened fire, the Bravada started shooting out yellow beams at the oncoming Britannian bombers while the Dome of Fahren spewed out huge fireballs at them, at the will of Aska's and the Twin Chizetian Princesses' powers.

As for Cornelia's Knightmare, she fired several Cephirian and Black Knight Knightmares with her newly developed electrical rifle with sheer precision. Every time the electrical beams struck its targets, the Knightmares received an electrical shock that puts its pilots into a cardiac arrest before they exploded from the inside of the cockpit. In other words, the pilots weren't able to eject from their knightmares in time before getting struck by Cornelia's Electrical beam rifle. The moment Cornelia saw Rayearth cutting down a few Sutherlands with his Escudo Broadsword, the Viceroy aimed her Electrical Beam rifle at the Magic Knight of Fire. However, just before Cornelia pulled the trigger on her rifle, the Black Crusader appeared on her right and fired its Ion Cannon at her. In just a mere second, she had her Knightmare jump backwards, evading the ion beam by a mere inch from its landspinner. Instead of hitting Cornelia with the Ion Cannon, it struck at a nearby rubble, making it explode below Cornelia's feet.

"You're not going to beat Hikaru that easy, are you?" Lantis said omniously from inside the Black Crusader.

"You dare get in my way of stopping that Eleven Knight from the New World?!" Cornelia snarled as she aimed her Assault Rifle at Lantis' Knightmare.

"Princess, stand aside! I'll handle those wretches!" Guilford shouted as his Gloucester intercepted the Black Crusader. "Head back to the Government Bureau!"

"Guilford, wait!" Cornelia said, in a worried tone of voice. "You can't expect me to run away like this?

"I'll stop Hikaru myself!" Guilford continued. "Because I am the Knight that you choose to protect you, remember?!"

"Hello, Guilford!" Hikaru hissed as her Rune God Knightmare went up next to the Black Crusader. "Are you willing to die for Cornelia?!"

"I am because therefore, as Cornelia's Knight, it is my duty to stand my ground and fight to the bitter end!" Guilford bellowed as his Gloucester drew out his MVS.

"Guilford, your orders are to come back alive!" Cornelia said as she had her Knightmare flee the battlefield.

"Yes, your highness. I will return!" Guilford smirked as he launched his Knightmare at Rayearth Alpha.

At the same time, Rayearth charged at Guilford's Knightmare with Hikaru's Broadsword and Shield in a battle stance.

"Umi! Fuu! Let's stop this Britannian Knight for good!" Hikaru shouted as Windam Delta and Selece Omega appeared behind her and Rayearth.

While the fight between the Cephirians and Britannians continued, Zero and his squad make their way towards the Ashford Academy to pinpoint the school as its temporary Command Center. As for Diethard and his Black Knight accomplices, they took over the radio station holding the chief and his co-workers hostage. As the Black Knights took their positions, the Clef, Lafarga, Topaz, and another part of their Cephirian Knightmare Battalion took another route to prep their Knightmares for a secondary attack aiming directly at the Government Bureau while hiding in the shadows of the war-torn city.

Meanwhile, above the sky of the Tokyo Settlement, the Lancelot appeared equipped with another Float System. Inside the Lancelot's cockpit, Suzaku was going livid after learning about how Zero used his Geass on Princess Euphy unnoticed at Mt. Fuji. In his mind, Suzaku is preparing to destroy Zero whatever the cost. From what V.V told him, it was because of Zero's Geass that Hikaru fought her way through Mt. Fuji to capture Euphy as well as the reason why Cephiro and Britannia are fighting each other again. Therefore, Suzaku confirmed that Hikaru, the Black Knights, the Japanese, and all of her friends and followers were being lied to by Zero himself.

The moment the Lancelot descended from the sky, he was met by enemy fire coming from the Cephirian and Black Knight Knightmares.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Suzaku snarled as he drew out both of the Lancelot's MVS.

As the Lancelot got close up and person, the white Knightmare slashed and hacked several Cephirian Gloucesters and Black Knight Burais without hesitation. In the next scene, the GTO shows up in mid-air above the white Knightmare and fires a warning shot at the Lancelot with its shoulder-mounted Cannon.

"Where do you think you're going, Suzaku Kururugi?!" Geo jeered as he spoke out from inside his Autozamian Mecha. "If you're going in to confront Hikaru and the Magic Knights, you'll likely be digging your own grave!"

"You're all fools Autozamian, you, Hikaru, the natives of the New World, and the Japanese! Zero is lying to all of you!" Suzaku shouted in anger.

"You wish!" Geo hissed. "Well, you're the liar because your betrayal over Japan doesn't know any bounds whatsoever! Also, you dare fight for a Princess that deceived and killed innocent Japanese?!"

Before Suzaku could say anymore, an explosion erupted from his side as he sees Hikaru clashing blades with Guilford once again. The moment Guilford's Gloucester jumped a few feet away from Rayearth, he sees the Lanceltot stand right next to him.

"Sir Kururugi?! What are you doing now?!" Guilford asked from inside his Knightmare.

"I need to bring Zero to justice at once. I know he did something to Euphy at Mt. Fuji earlier!" Suzaku retorted.

"Your guess is as good as mine!" Guilford responded.

"Suzaku! If you're looking for Zero, you must as well get past me first!" Hikaru snarled as she turned her Rune God to face the Lancelot. "After all, there is no room for traitors like you in our former homeland of Japan."

"I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S A TRAITOR!" Suzaku roared as he charged his Lancelot towards Rayearth Alpha.

In close proximity, Rayearth empowered Hikaru's Broadsword as it ignited into a red, flaming aura around its blade and with a fast reaction, Hikaru slammed her sword on the Lancelot's two MVS. Upon impact against all three swords, wild streaks of fire and Sakuradite started spreading all over the ground between the two huge robots.

As for Guilford's Gloucester, the GTO landed on the ground and drew out its wrist-mounted laser sword before lurching at the Britannian Knight with all of Geo's might. The moment the GTO makes its first swipe with its laser sword, Guilford, again, jump backwards with his Gloucester before counter-attacking the green mecha with his MVS. When Selece and Windam appeared above the GTO, Guilford fired his Knightmare's Slash Harkens at the two Rune Gods just to ward them away from his fight with Geo Metro.

After Hikaru whacked one of the Lancelot's MVS away from its left hand with its Escudo Broadsword, the white Knightmare flew backwards with its float system away from Rayearth, drew out its VARIS and shot out a Hadron beam of Radium at the Rune God. When Hikaru raised her shield and activated its red-electrical barrier to block the oncoming beam from the Lancelot's VARIS, she gets pushed back due to the pressure from the VARIS' firepower. However, in just a few feet backwards, Hikaru struggled to stand her ground while holding her shield up to her level.

"If you tell me where Zero and Euphy are right now, I won't come after you any further and that I'll overlook your crimes against the Britannian crown!" Suzaku said, making his immediate offer towards the Knight of Fire while continuing to put pressure on the Red Rune God with the VARIS' firepower.

"You wish!" Hikaru grunted while maintaining her power shield's ability. "Besides, Euphy is in a better place right now!"

After the Hadron Beam dissipated, Hikaru charged up her sword again and let loose a red torrent of lightning at the Lancelot. In a fast reaction, Suzaku steered his Lancelot away from the oncoming red lighting as he charged at Rayearth again. This time, he fired both Slash Harkens at Rayearth's shield just to puncture it's frame and pulling the Lancelot towards the Rune God in a much more faster pace. Before Hikaru could see what Suzaku was about to do, she was meet with a double mid-air kangaroo kick by the Lancelot, almost knocking her off- balance. After landing both of it's feet on Rayearth's shield, the Lancelot jumped backwards before preparing to lunge at Hikaru with his MVS.

Refusing to let her guard down, Hikaru shoots out a "Flame Arrow" spell only to be blocked by the Lancelot's Green Energy Shield. By the time, the Lancelot shrugged Hikaru's magic away from him, Rayearth Alpha ran right next to the white Knightmare and attempted to make an execution blow with Hikaru's sword. After blocking her blade with the Lancelot's shield, Suzaku steered his Knightmare and retaliated with its MVS and vice versa.

After taking over the school, Zero receives a report that the Lancelot has been spotted on the battlefield and is currently engaging one of the Magic Knights of the New World. Sensing another opportunity, Zero embarks into the Gawain and ascends into the sky while the Kallen's Guren and her squad setup the outer defenses around the Ashford Academy.

As the fight between Hikaru's Rune God and Suzaku's Lancelot intensifies, they clashed their blades into each other while struggling to shove them up to each other's throats. In a split second, Hikaru lit up Rayearth's fist on fire and attempted to punch the Lancelot in the chest. However, just when the Lancelot lifted the MVS, redirecting Rayearth's blade above its head, the White Knightmare pulled out the VARIS and made a point-blank shot at Hikaru's fiery fist. The moment the VARIS' beam struck at Hikaru's hand, she screamed in pain as it grazed her flaming hand and blew up her red shield, sending it flying away as it broke off from her wrist. As a result, Hikaru received a burnt wound on her bare left arm while holding it with her right sword arm.

After the Lancelot ascended into the sky above Rayearth, he aimed his VARIS at Rayearth before asking her again.

"I'm not going to ask you again, Hikaru!" Suzaku hissed as he shouted from inside the Lancelot. "WHERE IS ZERO AND EUPHY?!"

"I guess we're not so different when it comes to being stubborn, are we?! If you hadn't submitted to the Britannian Empire so easily, I'm sure none of this would've happened!" Hikaru retorted in anger.

"Then, are you willing to die for the New World and for your friends instead of confessing where Princess Euphemia is?!" Suzaku sneered, while getting ready to fire upon Rayearth in hopes of finishing off Hikaru.

"WAIT!"

Before either Hikaru or Suzaku made their move against each other again, a familiar voice echoed out between the two Eleven Knights. In just moments, the Gawain appeared hovering in the sky between Rayearth and the Lancelot. It was Zero. After seeing the fight between the two Japanese, Zero makes his personal announcement towards the Honorary Britannian.

"It appears that you being allies with me is futile! Since I'm no longer interested in a would-be partnership, let's resolve this fight one-on-one!"

"FINE BY ME!" Suzaku hissed as he aimed the Lancelot's VARIS at the Gawain while muttering to himself over Hikaru's behalf. "I'll take care of you later, Hikaru!"

As the Lancelot fired several shots at the Gawain with his VARIS, the huge Knightmare flew backwards to evade the beams coming from the Lancelot's energy rifle. In return, the Gawain fired its Slash Harkens at the Lancelot. Despite the Gawain shooting out all ten of the finger Harkens at the white Knightmare, the Lancelot flew left and right while evading them all. As the Gawain flew up north, the Lancelot continued to pursue the black Knightmare.

After seeing the Lancelot and the Gawain disappear into the sky and up north of her position, Hikaru picked up her red shield before moving on. Up ahead, she sees Geo continue his fight against Guilford while trading blows with both of their swords. In the surroundings of the Autozamian Commander and Cornelia's Knight, the Black Knights advanced further while the Cephirian Army kept several Britannian Knightmares at bay with their halberds clashing against their jousting lances.

Before Hikaru got any closer, Guilford managed to gain the upper hand as his Gloucester hurled one of its MVS at the GTO's shoulder cannon, straight into its gun barrel just when the Green Mecha thrusted backwards and is about to fire at Guilford's Knightmare. In an instant, the GTO's cannon blew up, making Geo Metro grunt as his cockpit vibrated horrendously while red lights started flashing both on and off. Geo did not see Guilford ram his Gloucester straight into the GTO in the next minute. Upon impact, Guilford's Gloucester held the GTO by the neck and slammed its back up the walls of a nearby ruined building.

"ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!" Geo screamed as he kept getting flung back and forth inside his cockpit.

"WINGS OF ...!" Fuu shouted before her spell was interrupted by a barrage of missiles coming from the Glaston Knight Squad on her left. "KYYYYYAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

As the missiles struck Windam Delta at the ground near its feet, Fuu was sent flying towards the ground at her right. The moment Fuu got up, she sees the five Glaston Knights piloting their Gloucesters and are armed to the teeth. One of the Glaston Knights, Edgar, charged forward with its Jousting Lance drawn, preparing to impale the Green Rune God Knightmare immediately. However, Fuu was able to fly right above the charging Glaston Knight, missing his Jousting Lance by a mere inch, thanks to Windam's Eagle Wings.

The charging Glaston Knight wasn't done yet as he aimed his Assault Rifle at Fuu, in hopes of shooting the Knight of Wind down from the sky.

"HOLD STILL, YOU DAMN ELEVEN WITCH!" Edgar shouted in frustration as he opened fire with his Assault Rifle at Windam.

"WINGS OF PROTECTION!" Fuu shouted as she casted a wind-like barrier shield, surrounding her Rune God and blocking the enemy fire coming from the Glaston Knight.

Before the Glaston Knight could fire his Staffen Missiles, Umi appeared and launched a Ocean Wyvern Spell at him from his left. As his Gloucester moved forward and evaded Umi's spell a few feet behind him, the other Glaston knights opened fire at Selece Omega with their Assault Rifles. Thanks to Umi's agility, she took to the skies with the use of Selece's Dragon Wings and casted another spell at the other four Glaston Knights: Claudio, Alfred, Bart, and David.

"ICICLE BLADE!" Umi shouted as she launched a massive barrage of ice shards at the Gloucesters.

"Get out of range, guys!" Claudio shouted from inside his Gloucester.

Upon hearing Claudio's orders, the four Glaston Knights steered away from Umi's powerful water spell either to their right or left as they head for cover behind the collapsed rubble.

After slamming the GTO onto the wall with its back 3 more times, Rayearth leaped at Guilford's Gloucester, grabbed him by the waist with both of his hands, and pulled him away from the Green Autozamian Mecha, making the knightmare loose its grip on it. As a result, the GTO collapses on the ground with Geo Metro rendered unconscious. For Rayearth and Guilford's Gloucester, they both crashed through a nearby wall of another abandoned building as they tumbled on the ground before loosing their grip on each other. When they both got up, Guilford drew out the Gloucester's second MVS. This time, it started glowing in a blue hue, than rather a red hue, and lit up with blue flames coming out of its blade.

Not wanting to let Hikaru get the upper hand, Guilford charged forward with his Gloucester first and makes his first strike on the Magic Knight of Fire. As the blade of Gloucester's customized MVS makes contact with Hikaru's broadsword, it spewed out discharges of blue flames that dissipated in mid-air. At the same time, Hikaru's sword lit up in a white flame while engaging Guilford for the 5th time on the battlefield. In the resulting clash of both Guilford's and Hikaru's swords, they traded all sorts of explosive parries and blocks back and forth each other.

Every time they struck at each other with their blades, Hikaru could feel a bit of her stamina decreasing as she struggled to keep her guard up with Lord Guilford. Before she knew it, Hikaru loses her grip on her sword when Guilford whacked it away with his enhanced MVS. Because Hikaru lost her shield no thanks to Suzaku and the Lancelot, she wasn't able to defend herself anymore as Guilford's Gloucester continued to deliver flesh wounds all over Rayearth's body in fast repetitions. After he was done, Guilford's Knightmare kicked Rayearth in the stomach, making Hikaru fall on her back. Upon seeing Hikaru losing her fight against Guilford, Umi and Fuu frantically attempted to intervene only to get intercepted by the Glaston Knights.

"Any last word, Hikaru?!" Guilford asked sternly as he stood right on top of the Red Rune God pointed the blade at Rayearth's throat.

"Darlton wanted me to let you know that he's sorry for everything!" Hikaru gasped frantically for air after receiving so many bleeding flesh wounds on her body.

"Say goodnight, you Eleven whore!" Guilford shouted as he attempted to finish off Hikaru with his MVS.

Unknown to Guilford, Hikaru could actually feel something whispering into her ear in a split second. In a sudden reaction, Hikaru's hand suddenly reached up towards where the Gloucester's MVS is at. Much to Guilford's shock, Hikaru grabbed his MVS' blade with her right bare hand. Despite feeling the pain and blood coming out of Hikaru's hand while holding onto the blade, she threw a very hard, flaming punch with her left hand at his Gloucester in the torso, making him grunt in pain as he staggered backwards while losing his grip on the second MVS. As the flame knight got back up on her feet, Hikaru could feel Nova's power flowing into her. With just one clench of her right, bloodied hand, Hikaru broke apart Guilford's MVS, making it shatter into a million pieces before they hit the ground. Ever since Hikaru let Nova come back home, which is in her heart, the Flame Knight is secretly giving into the strength that her altered ego left behind after making amends. Without a doubt, Hikaru could feel a purple, flaming aura flowing through her and Rayearth.

Before Guilford could make another move against Hikaru, he started seeing an unknown hallucination coming from where Rayearth is standing at. As Guilford looked closely at what's in front of him, he sees a scary-looking Knightmare that replaced Rayearth's position. It's appearance is similar to that of Rayearth, except it has sinister, devilish dark-red and black armor, two red talon-like bracers, three horns on its head, purple orbs, and two obsidian wings protruding from its back. Unknown to Guilford, it is none other than Regalia, the devil Rune God from the New World. Upon looking closely at the unknown Knightmare, Guilford started getting horrendous chills crawling up his spine.

"W-What the hell is that?" Guilford muttered in horror with his eyes widened, not knowing what to do.

Inside Rayearth, Nova makes her appearance in front of Hikaru unnoticed by Guilford. As the pink-haired elvish girl smiled at Hikaru, Hikaru couldn't help but see her alter ego again during the battlefield in Area 11. Upon realizing the only chance to advance forward to the Government Bureau, Hikaru makes a request to her altered ego.

"Nova, lend me your strength!" Hikaru muttered in a deep, demonic voice.

"With pleasure, my dear!" Nova voice cackled as a mysterious essence started glowing from the inside of Regalia. "After all, this maybe my chance to express my forgiveness three years ago."

With just one swift motion, Regalia/Rayearth raised both of his hands up towards Guilford and unleashed a huge powerful yellow beam at his Gloucester. Upon impact, Guilford's Knightmare got completely engulfed by its unpredictable power.

"ARGH! I've lost!" Guilford shouted as he ejected from his wrecked Gloucester before it exploded in an instant.

"LORD GUILFORD!" Claudio shrieked in horror, showing concern for his recent, defeated commanding officer.

After seeing Guilford's ejector seat fly off into the night sky at a distance, the Glaston Knights fell back to help recover what's left of Cornelia's Knight.

"I don't know what just happened, but you will pay for what you Knight Elevens did to Lord Guilford. I SWEAR TO THE EMPEROR HIMSELF!" Claudio shouted in humiliation before he and the Glaston Knights disappeared into the rubble.

As for the other Magic knights, they came up check on Hikaru after seeing the Glaston knights retreat.

"Was that Nova?!" Umi asked.

"Yes, she actually saved me!" Hikaru said while taking a breather as Fuu casted her healing spell on her to regenerate the Flame knights injuries and reattaching her shield.

"It seems that Nova really did made it up to us!" Geo thought as he regained control of his GTO after getting back on his feet. "Let's press forward, we have yet to reach to the Britannian Government Bureau."

As the Magic Knights and Geo Metro regrouped with the other Cephirians, the Black Knights led by Colonel Tohdou were the first to advance closer to the Bureau only to get fired upon by its machine gun turrets deployed on its walls. Upon getting struck by the enemy turrets, a couple of Black Knight Burais get blown up the moment they hoisted themselves up to where the Bureau was with their Slash Harkens. In retaliation, several squads of Black Knight Sutherlands opened fire with their Giant Cannons at the outer defenses around the Bureau, along with a Shrapnel Cannon.

In addition, the Cephirian Gloucesters stayed behind the Black Knight formation as they formed a tower shield wall while protecting and escorting a huge four-legged mobile Ballista Cannon from enemy fire. During the campaign in Area 11, the Autozamians have secretly developed a mobile siege weapon for the Cephirian Army to use in the final battle at the Tokyo Settlement. The Ballista Cannon is being piloted by four crew members: two Autozamian gunners and two Cephirian guardsmen. After the Ballista Cannon stopped 1,000 meters away from the Bureau, the crewmen announced their position to the Cephirian Prince.

"The Ballista Cannon is deployed and is ready to fire!"

"Target their defenses! FIRE!" Ferio shouted from inside his Green Ranger as he raised his hand and swung it towards the Bureau in front of him.

Upon heeding Ferio's command, the Ballista Cannon fired a huge white arrow-like energy bolt from its gun barrel. As the bolt struck the Bureau, the bolt exploded into a small, blinding flash that left the walls a yellow-green cross, indicating the damage the building is receiving.

While the Britannians sought to defend the Bureau, dozen of Sutherland squads went up to the battlements and opened fire at the encroaching Black Knight Burais and Cephirian Gloucesters.

The moment the Magic Knights attempted to press forward, Geo received a communication channel from Zazu that he's finally ready to shut down the Bureau's defense systems.

"Geo, I finally hacked into the system!" Zazu announced from Geo's communicator while inside the GTO. "Permission to disable the enemy's defenses!"

"Permission granted, Zazu!" Geo replied while speaking to the young mechanic with his communicator.

Back at the bridge of the NSX, Zazu stretched out his knuckles before overriding the Bureau's defensive network. With just one press on the "Enter" key, the Bureau's defenses started malfunctioning as the enemy gun turrets stopped firing. Upon noticing that all of their defense from the Bureau are down, the Britannians started sweating in horror as they were about to lose their defensive line.

"Uh Oh!" One of the Britannian Sutherland pilots muttered in fear before opening up a channel to Viceroy Cornelia. "Princess Cornelia, something is happening to the defenses around the Bur...WAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!"

In an instant, the Britannian pilot was met with a impale by a Jousting Lance that belonged to Topaz's Gloucester. After the Britannian pilot drowned in his own blood and succumbed to his wounds, Topaz slammed the fallen Sutherland to the ground before pulling it out. As the Cephirian Commander turned to face his men, he issues the following order upon Lafarga's approval.

"Warriors of Cephiro! FORWARD!"

Behind Topaz, Clef, Lafarga, and their men appeared from various burrowed holes underneath the ground right where the Bureau is, much to the confusion of the Britannians that are in their defensive positions. In such a rapid response, the Britannian Sutherlands were dragged down to their deaths by the emerging Cephirian Gloucesters before they came up to the surface and charged forward. For the three commanding officers, Clef raised the Archwizard's staff up high into the air as it unleashed a chain-lighting that struck an entire squad of 7 enemy Sutherlands, giving way to the Cephirian Knightmares and their calvary while advancing further into the Bureau. For the three ships of the New World, they proceeded forward towards the Government Bureau as their troops performed drop-in assault formations, deploying parachutes the moment they jumped ship.

On top of the Government Bureau, after hearing one of her soldiers bring forth very bad news before getting killed by Topaz, Cornelia figured that this may be the end for her occupation around Area 11 as its Viceroy. However, Cornelia's only option was to make one last stand against Hikaru and her followers from the New World and Area 11.

"So, it seems that she made it past Lord Guilford!" Cornelia thought. "But no matter, I'll crush them all even if it's the last thing I do!"

As she looked below the windows from one of the floors of the Bureau, Cornelia sees the allied forces of the New World circle around the building in attempting to secure the Sakuradite Gateway leading back to their homeland. Since Cornelia has lost contact with Lord Guilford and Suzaku Kururugi, the Princess of Britannia goes back to her customized Gloucester.

As Cornelia approached her Knightmare at Ares Villa which is all the way to the top floor of the Bureau, she smirked at it after seeing her Gloucester re-enhanced with a special anti-magic coating developed by one of her best science teams. Earlier when Cornelia left Area 11, she asked some of her best researchers and scientists to upgrade her Gloucester so that it can resist and adapt to the supernatural elements that exists from the New World. After going over some of the data they have collected from the Magic Knights' Knightmares, they were able to extract dark energy and fused it into a new plate of Tungsten Armor. In other words, Cornelia's Gloucester has been upgraded with Anti-Magic Tungsten Armor from purple to a bright, magenta-red color.

The moment Cornelia embarked onto her newly, upgraded Knightmare, she moved forward towards the edge of Ares Villa and drew out her Electrical Beam Rifle once more. The moment she aimed her Beam Rifle at the unsuspecting Rayearth down below, Cornelia smirked as she fired a warning shot at the Knight of Fire. As the beam zoomed right past Rayearth from a mere inch away from his face, Hikaru looked up to see Cornelia's Gloucester peeking out from the top floor of the Bureau.

"Cornelia!" Hikaru snarled as she glared at the Princess' customized Knightmare from a distance above her.

* * *

At the ground level, surrounding the Government Bureau, the Black Knights gave out suppressing fire while the Cephirian Guardsmen advanced towards the prison area near the Sakuradite gateway. Feeling outnumbered and outgunned by the encroaching forces of the New World and the Black Knights, and that they lost contact with Lord Guilford and the Glaston Knights, the Britannians are struggling to receive new orders from Cornelia only for her to reply to them to just stay alive for it is every man for himself! With no other option to hold their ground, they fled behind cover in hopes that their reinforcements will arrive from Pendragon very soon.

Somewhere within the shadows in the Ashford Academy, Viletta Nu, who finally got her memories back, was able to receive a royal private channel from Prince Clovis v.i.a her cell phone. After hearing what Clovis had to say, Viletta went to an abandoned radio tower and used its equipment to transmit the Prince's communication line to another channel leading straight to the Knights of the Round, the strongest warriors in all of the Holy Britannian Empire. As she could hear Prince Clovis giving out orders to the Knights of the Round outside of Area 11, Viletta Nu couldn't help but think about what she did when she faced Ohgi at the school.

"That damn Eleven! He thinks he can take advantage of me when I lost my memories after my encounter with Zero and that Magic Knight Eleven!" Viletta muttered in anger. "I don't know, but for some reason, he didn't pose too much of a threat in my presence. I wonder if I did the right thing as a Knight of Honor of Britannia?"

* * *

 _Flashback:_

 _After getting turned in towards Ohgi by his fellow Black Knights, Viletta gets taken into a room that belonged to the Lamperouges just to get confronted by the very same Eleven that found her at the docks earlier._

 _"Why did you show up during the battlefield?!" Ohgi asked, feeling lost in what Chigusa is thinking. "Just stay with me until we can find a safe place for you!"_

 _Not wanting Ohgi to take advantage of her any further, Viletta immediately backs away from him in a serious manner._

 _"Look, I'm sorry I had to do this to you, but I'm just doing all of this for the sake of peace!" Ohgi continued. "If Zero and the Magic Knights succeeded in liberating all of Japan from Britannia, then we can finally be together!"_

 _"Stop it before I vomit!" Viletta spat on Ohgi as she grabbed his gun and shoved it up to his lower abdomen._

 _Upon feeling the gun close to his body, Ohgi's eyes widened with horror as he just realized that the same woman that he cared for isn't what she is anymore. Before Ohgi could say anymore, Viletta makes her statement right behind his ear._

 _"Together with an Eleven like you?! What a horrible thought! My name is Viletta Nu and I'm a Knight of Honor of Britannia!"_

 _"K-Knight of Britannia?!" Ohgi murmured in fear. "W-Why would you...UGH!"_

 _As Ohgi felt the gun shoved further into the back of his abdomen, his teeth gritted in pain as he started feeling a bit of deadly pressure coming from the gun's muzzle._

 _"Tell me where Hikaru and Zero is and I'll let you live!" Viletta snarled as she started her immediate interrogation with Ohgi._

 _"What for?! You're not going to kill them are you?" Ohgi shrieked, realizing that his commanding officer and his allied friend are going to be in danger very soon. "We'll they'll be carrying out their campaign at the Government Bureau! What do you know about Zero and Lady Hikaru?!"_

 _"I already know everything about those two and I will not rest until I bring both of them to justice!" Viletta hissed as she shots Ohgi in the lower abdomen, making the injured Deputy Commander fall on his stomach._

 _"It seems that you've finally g-got y-y-your memory back!" Ohgi gasped as he collapsed unconscious from his gunshot wound._

 _Feeling emotionless and relentless, Viletta immediately ran up to a nearby window, opened it up. The next thing the Baroness did was that Viletta jumped out the window and landed into a hedge. Back at the room that Viletta jumped out from, the Black Knights stormed in after hearing a gunshot echoed behind their ears. Before they knew it, they see Ohgi badly wounded and immediately took him to a nearby medic to treat him of his injuries._

 _After seeing several Black Knights pass by while hiding behind the hedge, Viletta sneaked out of Ashford and attempts to make her way to the Government Bureau only to receive a distress call coming from her cellphone. As Viletta tried to respond to the distress call with her cellphone, her eyes widened as one of her fellow Britannian Soldiers told her that Prince Clovis is on a private communication channel. After ordering her caller to bridge the communication channel to Clovis, Viletta finally hears Clovis' voice into her ears._

 _"Prince Clovis, are you there?! This is Baroness Viletta Nu responding."_

 _"Yes, I am. Listen Viletta, I need help! The Autozamians onboard the NSX are preparing to hack into the Bureau's defenses. We need reinforcements to take down that ship!"_

 _"I'll head to a nearby radio station to make contact with the other Britannian Forces lead by the Knights of the Round!" Viletta told the Britannian Prince. "They'll be preparing a boarding party on the NSX. Just lay low until then!"_

 _"Understood Baroness!" Clovis responded through Viletta's cellphone._

 _End of Flashback..._

* * *

After she finished setting up a communication channel at the radio station, Viletta eventually makes contact with one of the Knights of the Round.

"Hello, this is Viletta Nu, Knight of Honor of Britannia. Please respond!"

While waiting for a few seconds, Viletta couldn't help but start sweating thinking that she needs to broaden the signal when she might accidentally draw the wrong kind of attention. But before she could say anymore, Viletta started hearing a bit of static before readjusting the tuning of the radio equipment. As soon as Viletta could hear a clear voice coming from the radio, one of the Knights of the Round spoke.

"Viletta Nu, this is Bismarck Waldstein the Knight of One. We will be arriving at Area 11 to mop up the rebels attacking the Government Bureau very soon."

"I received a report from Prince Clovis that the crewmen onboard the battleship NSX, are hacking into the Bureau's defenses in attempts to shut them all down. We need reinforcements to take down that ship!"

"Understood, my lady! I'll have Anya the Knight of Six and her squadron to take care of that!"

"Thank you, sir!" Viletta replied feeling relieved for a moment.


	25. Cornelia's Final Stand, Zero goes AWOL?

As the Black Knights went to secure the Sakuradite Gateway, Clef's Archwizard came up front and slammed his staff onto the ground, creating a light-blue ring that spread out from where the Knightmare is standing. The moment the blue ring went past the Gateway, it started activating itself as it swirled around in a blue-lighting spiral. As the spirals converge, it created a huge, wide screen that filled up the Gateway. Just like that, the Sakuradite Gateway opened up a portal leading to the New World of Cephiro and directly to its Crystal Castle up ahead.

When the Cephirian Knightmares formed up a defensive line formation in warding off the encroaching Britannian Knightmares, Kallen's Black Knight squad was dispatched to help the Cephirian Calvary unit to free the prisoners.

"Topaz, help out Kallen free the prisoners and send them back to the New World!" Ferio ordered as he drove his Green Ranger Knightmare next to the Gateway.

After the Britannians regained their morale, right after they recovered an unconscious Guilford, the Glaston Knights rallied their surviving forces and made their attempt to retake the Bureau. Unfortunately, by the time Glaston Knights arrived, they got intercepted by the Black Crusader, the Lancelot Blitz, Dancing Siren, Monolith, and the Green Ranger, piloted by Lantis, Lafarga, Caldina, Ascot, and Ferio.

As Ferio's Green Ranger drew out his sword, he struck at Claudio's Gloucester up front first before retorting against the Glaston Knight.

"You're not getting anywhere near our people ever again!" Ferio snarled as he traded more sword strikes against Claudio's Gloucester. With every strike that the Green Ranger is making, Claudio struggled to hold the Gloucester's Jousting Lance just to keep his guard up against the Cephirian Prince.

"You're pushing your luck, Ferio!" Claudio hissed as he made a thrust with his lance only for the Green Ranger to jump over him and landed right behind his Knightmare. "Very soon, the Knights of the Round will arrive along with their reinforcements!"

"Knights of the Round?" Ferio exclaimed, as he blocked an oncoming, horizontal whack from the Gloucester's Lance with his sword.

"You heard me!" Claudio continued. "They happened to be the 12th strongest warriors in the Britannian Empire, unlike us Glaston Knights!"

While Ferio and Claudio continued their fight with each other in Knightmare combat, the Lancelot Blitz slammed his Lighting MVS towards the ground and launched a vertical, electrical arc heading straight for Alfred's Gloucester. In a panic, Alfred barely had time to steer his Knightmare away from the destructive arc, when it grazed his land spinner and exploded behind him. In his efforts to return fire, Alfred fired a barrage of Staffen Missiles at the Lancelot Blitz only for Lafarga to activate his blue core luminous tower shield to ward it all off. In addition, Alfred hurled his Jousting Lance at Lafarga. After a split second, the Lancelot Blitz steered to his side and evaded the oncoming lance before engaging Alfred's Gloucester up close and person. When the Lancelot Blitz swung his MVS at Alfred's Gloucester, the Glaston Knight steered backwards and drew out his MVS. By the time Alfred slammed his MVS onto the Lancelot's MVS, Lafarga's Knightmare landed a strong kick to knock the enemy Gloucester away from him.

The moment the other three Glaston Knights engaged the Black Crusader and the Dancing Siren, they were met by a barrage of missiles and rockets shooting out from Ascot's Monolith. Without Guilford to tell them what to do, they ran behind cover.

"You can run, Glaston Knights!" Ascot jeered from inside his Knightmare. "But you can't hide!"

Just when they're about to open fire at the three Cephirian Knightmares, the Glaston Knights get intercepted by three of Ascot's pet beasts. The next thing they knew, two out of the three Glaston Knights engaged Griffore and Insectoid, trading fists with MVS's as if they're in a street brawl.

"UGH!" Edgar grunted in frustration as he held up his MVS, defending his Gloucester against the relentless anthro griffin. "Get out of my way, monster!"

As Griffore threw a punch at the MVS' blade, Edgar swung his MVS at the giant griffin, humanoid creature only to dodge it and jump backwards several times before striking at the Glaston Knight again.

For David, his fight against Ascot's pets wasn't much better either. Insectoid was delivering all sorts of rapid strikes at David's Gloucester so fast, that he was unable to make any good counter-attacks. Without any other options, David drove his Knightmare backwards while shooting out Staffen Missiles and his Assault Rifle at the huge, dark-blue anthromorphic beast.

As for Bart, who was the 5th Glaston Knight, he moved in to help out David only to get intercepted with the Monolith as it grabbed his Gloucester's Jousting Lance with one of its Radium Claws. In retaliation, Bart drew out a MVS and swung it at the Monolith, in an attempt to make the grey Knightmare let go off his Lance. The Monolith barley had enough time to lean back as the MVS' blade nearly hit him in the neck. Ascot jumped away from the enemy Gloucester and unleashed a volley of missiles at Bart's Knightmare. At the same time, Bart steered his Knightmare back as he evaded the enemy missiles heading straight for him while they exploded on the ground several inches behind him.

Realizing that the Glaston Knights needed backup against the Cephirian Warriors, several Sutherland and Gloucester Squads disengaged their fight at the Sakuradite Gateway before engaging the five Cephirian Knightmares.

At the prison areas, the Cephirian warriors dismounted from their horses and drew out their weapons before hacking away the locks used to seal their people in their designated cells. For the Black Knights and Kallen, they got out of their Knightmares, drew out their Assault Rifles and gave out suppressing fire to keep the Prison Security teams at bay. In the ensuring gunfight taking place in the prison hallways, the Cephirian Warriors and Topaz were able to escort their people out of the area and redirected them to the gateway leading back to Cephiro. Along the way, some of the captives were thanking Kallen and Topaz for their heroic efforts.

"Come on guys! Get to the portal!" Topaz ordered his fellow Cephirians after he opened up their prison cells.

When a group of Britannian soldiers spotted Topaz in the hallway, the commander threw out a smoke bomb at their feet. The moment the bomb exploded, it unleashed a huge, billowing white smoke, in which blinded the soldiers' vision. Before they knew it, the soldiers were being hacked and stabbed by Topaz with his spear. Just when Topaz gained the upper hand, Viletta Nu appeared right behind him and delivered a strong kick in the back.

"ARGH!" Topaz screeched as he hit the floor onto his stomach.

Just when Topaz got back up on his feet, he sees the Knight of Britannia appear before him, even more angrier than before.

"Hello, Cephirian Commander!" Viletta snarled as she drew out her sword. "Remember me?!"

"YOU!" Topaz hissed. "You're that crazy baroness from before, weren't you?! When did you get here?"

"I've been in this place more than once!" Viletta continued sternly. "Don't even think you and the Magic Knights are going to get away with this! I already made contact outside of Area 11. As soon as the Knights of the Round show up in Area 11, you and the rest of the Cephirian scum won't escape from us this time! Lady Hikaru, isn't it?! You were helping her out in Area 11, aren't you?!"

"How did you...?" Topaz gasped, realizing the identity of his inspired heroine has been exposed.

"If you hand over Hikaru right now, I won't kill you!" Viletta sneered.

"I may have underestimated you the last time, but things are going to be different right now!" Topaz said, glaring at the Britannian Baroness as he threw away his spear and drew out his sword. "Besides, I'll never turn Lady Hikaru over to you; not for a million years!"

"Then, maybe I'll have to beat some sense into your thick-headed skull to spill the beans! Come on, Cephirian!" Viletta hissed as she readied her sword for a duel against Topaz. "Let's dance!"

Without further a due, Topaz charged forward and raised his sword up high as he engaged the baroness head on. At the same time, Viletta lunged at the Cephirian Commander, clashing blades at each other vigorously.

While the Cephirians and Black Knights continued to engage the Britannians, as well as helping free the captured natives of the New World, Hikaru rallied around the Magic Knights before confronting Princess Cornelia at Ares Villa on top of the Government Bureau. When the Rune God Knightmares made their ascension towards the top floor of the Government Bureau, they were met by several electric, hadron beams coming from Cornelia's Gloucester's Beam Rifle. Cornelia stationed her Gloucester at the edge of the top floor before looking down to where the ground floor was at before concentrating her fire on the Magic Knights' Knightmares.

Upon seeing the Cornelia's electrical beams heading in their way, the Magic Knights veered their Rune Gods both left and right in hopes of evading them while continuing to ascend all the way to the top of the Bureau. Despite missing her targets in a few attempts, the Viceroy of Area 11 couldn't help but laugh her head off as she is hoping to end their fight with her for good.

"Enjoying the light show, Magic Knight Elevens!" Cornelia shouted as she made an evil, witch-like cackle while continuing to bear down on Rayearth, Selece, and Windam with her Beam Rifle. "I'll vaporize all of you in an instant! PREPARE TO BE ANNIHILATED!"

"That woman is so full of it!" Umi muttered in annoyance as she launched her first spell at the Viceroy.

"WATER DRAGON!"

As the blue serpent flew straight out of Selece's hand, it zoomed straight at Cornelia's Gloucester. The moment she sees Umi's magic heading straight towards her, Cornelia smirked while steering her Knightmare out of Umi's line of fire. In just 250 meters away from her position, Cornelia aimed her beam rifle at Selece's dragon wings. Before Umi could see what was going on, she was met with 2 direct shots coming from Cornelia's Hadron Beam Rifle. As the beams punctured Selece's wings, Umi screamed in pain and suddenly loses her flight pattern, making the Knight of Water fall straight down.

"MS. UMI!" Fuu cried as she casted another "Wings of Protection" spell to block the beams aimed down on her and Hikaru. "Keep going Ms. Hikaru. I'll get Ms. Umi back!"

Without saying another word, Fuu descended towards a falling Umi and grabbed her with her Wings of Admonishment spell, preventing the Knight of Water from plummeting to the ground.

As for Hikaru, she activated her Electrical barrier shield before seeing Cornelia fire another shot at her with the Hadron Beam Rifle. The moment the Hadron beam struck at Hikaru's shield, she could feel herself being pushed downwards than upwards.

After seeing the Knight of Water plummet straight down from her ascension, Cornelia grinned as she remembered the data that Lloyd and Cecil gave to her earlier. Since she learned that Selece's weakness is the lack of strength that makes up for agility. Using it to her advantage, Cornelia takes her chance of damaging Selece's wings to decrease the Knight of Water's speed and velocity.

"Hikaru, you are mine at last!" Cornelia cackled as she continued to bear down on the Knight of Fire with her beam rifle.

After shielding herself against Cornelia' beam firings for 5 more times, Hikaru slowly ascended 100 meters closer to Cornelia, used her sword-arm, and fired a torrent of red-white flames coming from her Escudo broadsword, aiming directly at Cornelia's Gloucester.

As Cornelia immediately moved backwards, with the torrent missing her by a inch away from her Gloucester's tungsten armor, Rayearth Alpha finally reached to the top of the Bureau and landed on both of her feet onto the floor of Ares Villa. Just like that Cornelia's Knightmare is standing in front of the Red Rune God with Ares Villa in between them. After making several huffs, Hikaru glared at Cornelia in a face-off between both female warriors fighting for the countries that they both cared about. Before Hikaru could make another move on the Viceroy, Cornelia started gloating at the Flame Knight once more before aiming the Beam Rifle at her.

"Welcome to the Government Bureau of Britannia, Hikaru Shidou! Your luck will be your last here!"

"This is your last chance to surrender, Princess Cornelia!" Hikaru snarled as she aimed her sword at Cornelia's Gloucester. "Your Knight is defeated, your Bureau is surrounded, and your grip over all of Area 11 will come to an end!"

"I didn't really think you had it in you; not after when I first met you seven years ago," Cornelia retorted. "But no matter, if you really are a hero in the New World like what they all said, then perhaps I should be a hero too in Britannia!"

"Really?!" Hikaru sneered, taunting the Viceroy while her Rune God and Cornelia's Gloucester circled around with their eyes locked on one another.

"Since you kidnapped my sister at Mt. Fuji, this maybe my chance to prove my heroism!" Cornelia said, gritting her teeth vengefully. "I'll still defeat you by any means necessary. Also, I hope your friends are watching too, because I'll let everyone in the New World know that you are a total joke; a witch for whom her recklessness and stubbornness knows no bounds! Now then, it's time for your swarede. Care for a dance?!"

"Like you're real scary!" Hikaru hissed as she readied herself, preparing to engage Cornelia in a fighting kendo, stance. "Bring it on, Princess Cornelia li Britannia!"

Just like that, Cornelia tossed her beam rifle away and drew out her Gloucester's MVS. Unlike Guilford's, Cornelia's MVS illuminated in a purple-fiery aura. As Cornerlia held her MVS up high above her head, holding with with both of her Gloucester's hands, Hikaru's sword lit up with white flames coming out of its blades. Without holding anything back, the Magic Knight and the Viceroy charged at each other, clashing blades at each other with sparks of purple and red flames spewing out. As they kept their swords up high, Cornelia swiped her MVS across Rayearth's torso only for him to jump up high above her a few feet before landing on the ground once again. At the same time, Rayearth slammed his sword right on top of the Gloucester's head only to block it with Cornelia's MVS. While struggling to keep their blades up to their necks, Hikaru shoved Cornelia further as the Princess grunted in maintaining her guard. In her second move, Hikaru's first charged up in flames before throwing a fiery punch at the Gloucester.

"FLAME ARROW!"

Before Hikaru's fiery fist made contact, Cornelia smirked as she blocked it with the Gloucester's left hand. Even though her magic exploded onto the Knightmare's left hand, Hikaru's eyes widened with shock as her magic barely did any damage to the Knightmare at all. Instead, the flames dissipated from Hikaru's hand and at the same time, the Gloucester's hand was illuminating in purple glow. While still holding onto Hikaru's hand, Cornelia lifted the Gloucester's knee up to its chest and slammed its foot into Rayearth's torso, pushing Hikaru backwards.

"Nice try!" Cornelia gloated. "I already had help in tuning up my Knightmare thanks to my brother's best engineers. Your powers won't do that much damage on my Knightmare like last time. It's now equipped with an anti-magic tungsten plating. Not only it's meant to absorb any powers you throw at me, I can also do this too!"

Before Hikaru could understand what Cornelia is getting at with her new Knightmare upgrades, her Gloucester clenched its fist hurled the very same Hikaru's Flame Arrow back at her. The Flame Knight barely had enough time to raise her shield up only to get shoved backwards after her own medicine exploded upon impact when maintaining her guard. Just when Hikaru regained her ground, Cornelia fired her Knightmare's Slash Harkens at the Red Rune God, along with a barrage of missiles coming out from the Gloucester's shoulder pads. Hikaru swipe both of the Harkens away from her with her Broadsword before taking to the skies above Cornelia.

As the missiles closed in on her from behind, Hikaru let loose another torrent of red-flames in a horizontal arc, making them explode while in mid-air. When Rayearth landed on the ground again, Cornelia's Gloucester charged forward and made her attempt to lunge at Hikaru with her MVS. Hikaru makes an uppercut block with her sword. The moment Hikaru's blade clashed against Cornelia's MVS, the Princess swung the Gloucester's fist at her face only to dodge it by a mere inch from her head.

The moment Umi and Fuu appeared right behind Cornelia's Knightmare, after Fuu used her healing magic to regenerate Selece's damaged wings, they shot out their magic at her but not before Hikaru ordered them both to stop.

"Emerald Typhoon!"

"Sapphire Whirlwind!"

"UMI, FUU! WAIT!"

The moment Cornelia turned around to see the Blue and Green Rune Gods, she smirked underneath her breath. As soon as Rayearth jumped backwards away from Umi and Fuu's line of fire, both of their spells struck the Gloucester, leaving behind an explosion followed by a cloud of dust. At first, they thought they were able to bring Cornelia down at last. However, as the dust disappeared, Umi's and Fuu's eyes widened with horror after seeing that Cornelia's Gloucester didn't receive any dents. Instead, the Gloucester was glowing in a dark-blue and dark-green aura.

Before they knew what was happening, both Umi's and Fuu's spells started shooting back at them. The moment the spells struck at their Rune Gods, they both screamed in pain as they fell on their backs.

"What did she do?" Umi shrieked in confusion as she got up on her feet.

"Behold Magic Knight Elevens, witness the power of my Gloucester's Tungsten Mirror Coat Enhanced Armor!" Cornelia shouted in triumph. "Anything that shoots at my Knightmare will get pushed right back at its firer. Think of it like you're shooting at your reflection!"

"When an earth did they tuned-up your Knightmare like that?" Hikaru asked in horror.

"It was during the time I left Area 11 to run some errands with my collaborators back at Pendragon, Hikaru." Cornelia said briefly. "Not that it matters, all of your days are numbered, you and your friends. So, lets get this over with!"

In resuming her fight with the Magic Knights, Cornelia charged straight at the two Rune Gods as she drew out her second MVS. In just a split second, Umi and Fuu drew out their swords and stood their ground against the Cornelia's charging Gloucester. The moment all of their swords clashed into each other, Selece Omega and Windam Delta started skidding with their feet before they stopped a few feet backwards. Suddenly, without warning, the Gloucester's feet started letting out an electric whiplash that spook the Knights of Water and Wind in surprise. In an instance, two small beam cannons came out of both of the Gloucester's Knightmares and shot out 2 hadron beams at Umi and Fuu. Without giving it another thought, Selece and Windam flew up into the sky above Cornelia, barely evading both of its beams by an inch of their feet.

The moment Umi landed on her two feet, she and Selece charged first at Cornelia, giving the Princess several fencing thrusts with her Escudo rapier. At the same time, Cornelia aimed her lance at the Blue Rune God and jabbed it at Umi with all her might. In several flurry of jabs and thrusts, Umi and Cornelia were trading blocks with the tips of their close combat weapons.

After several minutes of jabbing and thrusting at each other, Fuu attempted to do an heroic intervention as she is getting ready to fire her Eagle Longbow at Cornelia's Gloucester. However, the moment Fuu shot her arrow at Cornelia, it only bounced off its Tungsten shoulder pad, leaving it behind a small harmless dent.

"IS THAT THE BEST YOU'VE GOT, ELEVEN?!" Cornelia roared in annoyance as she disengaged from her fight with Umi and fired another barrage of missiles at the Knight of Wind.

"WINGS OF PROTECTION!" Fuu shouted as she casted a wind barrier on herself. As the missiles exploded on Fuu's magical barrier, Cornelia appeared suddenly right in front of the Wind Knight, much to Fuu's shock.

Before Fuu had a chance to react, Cornelia's Gloucester rammed her Jousting Lance straight at her Rune God Knightmare and punctured Fuu's barrier, nearly hitting its spear tip at Windam's face before Fuu leaned her head to the right, dodging it by a mere inch.

Just when Cornelia is about to raising her Gloucester's MVS up high and attempt to make a second strike at Windam Delta, Rayearth charged at the Viceroy with another shield bash. Unlike last time, Cornelia's Gloucester held the shaft of its jousting Lance parallel to its side to reduce the impact from Rayearth's shield. The moment Cornelia felt the impact coming from Rayearth's shield, she shoved Rayearth backwards and slammed her MVS onto Hikaru's red shield. Before Cornelia could attack again, Hikaru slammed her sword on top of the Gloucester's shoulder pad and in one heavy attack, her blade cut off the shoulder pad, missing its arm by a mere inch. All at once, Hikaru struck the ground with her broadsword very close to where Cornelia's Gloucester is standing at, unleashing a red-torrent of flames at point-blank range. In an instant, Cornelia's Gloucester took the full brunt of Hikaru's attack and was sent plummeting to the ground several meters away from where Rayearth was standing. At the same time, Cornelia loses her grip on her Jousting Lance as it broke into a million pieces.

The moment Cornelia's Gloucester got up on her knees, the Princess noticed that blood came down from the side of her head and landed on the floor next to her feet inside the cockpit.

"AGH! My face. You damaged my beautiful face!" Cornelia shrieked as she touched her bleeding head wound with her left hand.

"Oh, please. You'll suffer more than that when I'm through with you! After all, I always despised your Royal Britannian pride, Cornelia!" Hikaru smirked as she regrouped with the other Magic Knights' Rune God Knightmares. "We could do this all night!"

"I'm just getting started!" Cornelia growled as she clenched her fists before regaining control of her Gloucester.

Enraged by such humiliation, Cornelia's Gloucester started powering up in a huge, purple glowing aura. Before Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu even realized what is going on, both of Cornelia's MVS' started increasing their blades a bit more longer, transforming the color from red to crystalized purple. After both of Cornelia's MVS' finished their expansion, she clamped them together, attaching their hilts to each other. As a result, Cornelia's weapon turned from two MVS' into one empowered dual-bladed MVS.

The moment Cornelia charged straight at Hikaru, she swung her dual-bladed MVS in a vertical windmill-like attack, nearly catching the Knight of Fire off guard. Although Hikaru was able to side-step away from the propeller-like attack, Cornelia isn't done yet as she raised her dual-bladed MVS up above her head and attempted to slam the Fire Knight on the head with it. Realizing how fast is Cornelia attacking right now, Hikaru struggled to counter-attacks against her dual-bladed weapon beyond her stamina.

Realizing that Cornelia is about to gain the upper hand as she was bearing down on Hikaru with her dual-bladed MVS, Umi and Fuu both charged with their swords at the ready. In one swift motion, Selece and Windam clashed their swords against Cornelia's Dual MVS, pushing her Knightmare away from Rayearth Alpha. While Hikaru makes several deep breathes after getting hammered by Cornelia's dual-bladed weapon, she looks up and sees both of her friends attack Cornelia from both left and right. At the same time, Cornelia dashed backwards while keeping her guard up against the Knights of Wind and Water.

Seizing the opportunity, Hikaru charged forwards once again as she moved towards Cornelia from behind Umi and Fuu. However, Cornelia smirked as she sees all three targets in her direct line of sight. The Viceroy flipped up a hidden switch inside her cockpit, revealing a small red button on the control panel. At the same time, a small, hidden Hadron cannon appeared below the her Gloucester's Torso. When the hidden cannon charged, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu all gasped in horror as they were met by Cornelia's surprise attack. Before any of the Magic Knights could react, Cornelia makes her move fist upon all three of them.

"GOTCHA!" Cornelia cackled as she pressed on the red button.

Just like that, all three Magic Knights were met with a full, powerful blast that came from the small Hadron cannon, which engulfed them in a huge red beam. Upon impact, the Magic Knights have all screamed in pain as they were sent flying all the way to the outer walls of Ares Villa. Behind them, the Hadron beam continued to shoot out towards the night sky before it disappeared. As Cornelia's Gloucester approached the Magic Knights, she sees all of their Rune God Knightmares collapse onto the ground in front of her, all battered, charred, and out cold.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Cornelia laughed victoriously. "It's over Magic Knights! I win!"

After laughing for several minutes, one of the Rune Gods slowly got up to face Cornelia again, huffing and puffing as she felt bruises covering up her entire body. It was Hikaru Shidou and Rayearth.

"You may be strong, Cornelia." Hikaru gasped, feeling exhausted. "But we won't give up that easily. I've been through with this more than once."

"Are you kidding?!" Cornelia hissed as she aimed her Assault Rifle at Rayearth Alpha. "Why won't you die already?!"

"Because, we have all came a long way to save our former homeland." Hikaru continued as she struggled to stay on her feet, using her sword as leverage. "You can't always win, Cornelia. I already have people counting on me right now. If we were able to save Cephiro from people like you, we can still do the same for our fellow natives too. And our will is what makes us stronger than anything else."

Before Cornelia could say or do anything, she sees Umi and Fuu slowly get up too.

"We all made our promises with all the people that we love." Umi said as her Rune God started glowing in a blue aura. "You can't always have the entire world to yourself."

"Who else is relying on you to conquer Japan anyway, Ms. Cornelia?" Fuu sneered as her Rune God lit up in a bright, green aura. "We won't lose that easily, especially when facing a Knightmare that's just as deadly like yours and Mr. Suzaku's."

"We all have something that's worth fighting for; whether it is for your parents or our friends!" Hikaru shouted intensely. "We all still have one final trick on our sleeve so you better brace yourself, Viceroy!"

As all three of the Magic Knights and their Rune Gods stood up on their feet, they all vanished in a red, blue, and green flash. Before Cornelia even saw what was going on right now, all three Rune Gods have merged into one huge being, followed by a series of screeches and roars and engulfed in one huge pillar of light. As the light disappear, a huge Rune God appeared before Cornelia. Unlike the last time they fought with Debonair as one, the fused Rune God has replaced its Golden linings with Silver linings on top of its red pauldrons. It's wings are glowing in a red and green hue and its eyes have are glowing white. It's crescent shield became wider, turning its white edges to a darker color.

Upon seeing the three Rune God Knightmares merged into one, Cornelia couldn't help but feel nonchalant about its transforming appearance. Refusing to let the Magic Knights get the upper hand, Cornelia fired another Hadron beam from its small cannon at the merged Rune God Knightmare. However, just when Cornelia made a direct hit, the Rune God blocked the beam with its crescent shield and drew out its light force sword. As soon as Cornelia charged forward with her dual-bladed MVS, the Rune God struck first. With just one swing of its sword, the Rune God Knightmare cut off both of her Gloucester's hands, shattering the MVS simultaneously.

"What the?" Cornelia gasped in horror, realizing that she lost her grip on her MVS. "What kind of Knightmare is this?"

As Cornelia's Gloucester backs away from the Rune God, she fired another shot from her Hadron cannon only to get intercepted by the Rune God's ultimate power.

"SPIRAL BARRAGE!" All three Magic Knights shouted in unison as they unleashed their magic on Cornelia's Knightmare.

As the Rune God raised both of his hands at Cornelia's Gloucester, he summoned three star-like sigils in front of him, letting loose a barrage of multi-colored arrowheads in its wake. When the arrowheads struck all around Cornelia's Knightmare, the entire area was met with a mass rain of destruction that shook Ares Villa like an earthquake. The moment the arrowheads hit Cornelia's Gloucester, she was getting hammered all over, unable to return fire at the moment. Feeling outgunned by such a powerful, overwhelming attack, Cornelia struggled to steer her Knightmare behind cover, trying to aim her Hadron Cannon while on the move. However, before she had a chance to fire the Gloucester's cannon again for the third time, after the barrage has stop raining down destruction behind her, the Rune God appeared and with just one swift movement, his light force sword swung across and decapitated the gun off its torso, making it explode the moment it touched the ground.

In a split second, the Rune God reached his hand out at the face of Cornelia's Gloucester and crumpled it up with a very strong grip. In the next move, the Rune God delivered all sorts of physical blows at Cornelia's Knightmare, ranging from various punches and knee slams. At the same time, Cornelia was getting flung back and forth very violently inside her cockpit so much that she is unable to counterattack against the merged Rune God. Before she knew it, the Rune God grabbed Cornelia's Knightmare and hurled it straight into a nearby wall, slamming its back into it upside down. Upon impact, the Gloucester was battered so badly that it collapsed in a crippled state right on its side. As for Cornelia, she noticed that her energy filler has ran out. As a result, the mirror coating on her Gloucester was no longer in effect. Cornelia has faced a bone-crushing defeat against the full power of the Magic Knights of the New World.

The moment Cornelia got out of her Knightmare, she fell on her back beside her wrecked Knighmare while holding her injured arm up to her waist. As she looked up, Cornelia sees all three of the Magic Knights disembarked their merged Rune God.

"Zero! We have neutralized Princess Cornelia!" Hikaru spoke through her ear-bud.

"Good work! I'll be there to speak with her very soon!" Zero spoke from Hikaru's ear-bud.

"So Cornelia, do you have any other way living than rather picking fights with other natives?!" Hikaru asked the defeated Viceroy as disengaging her communication channel with Zero.

"It's not my place to say!" Cornelia said as she coughed up blood. "You might as well do your worse, Hikaru. Euphy is the only person I rather be fighting for than anything else. Judging from how far we've both came, I probably won't be seeing her again. I guess we're not so different are we?!"

"You may have caused a lot of trouble in front of my family. But I'm nothing like you. Besides, I'll let know something else too." Hikaru continued. "I have no intention of killing you, even though you tried to kill us."

"Why not?!" Cornelia exasperated.

"You're not the only princess that we faced in battle before, neither you would be the last, Ms. Cornelia." Fuu added in. "We faced others that are a lot more worse than you."

"Like who?" Cornelia asked desperately.

"Princess Emeraude! We'll explain later! But for now, Zero will be on his way to interrogate you!" Hikaru explained. "After I met Euphy and was able to get to know her a bit more before that incident at Mt. Fuji, I'd figured that just like what you said: We won't be any different from the Britannian Empire if we just let our revenge blind us all, would we?!"

"Then, what are you three going to do now?!" Cornelia asked, despite her believing that the Magic Knights would finish her off.

"We'll be leaving the Bureau once all of the Cephirians are safe and sound back in the world that they all came from." Hikaru concluded. "For now, you might as well think about resorting to diplomacy in the future."

After seeing the three Magic Knights went back inside their merged Rune God, Cornelia sees the Gawain appear before her as it descended from its flight. The moment Zero came out of the giant Knightmare, the Magic Knights flew away from Ares Villa and descended to the ground to help out their friends save as may Cephirians as they can.

Meanwhile, while the NSX continued to bombard the oncoming Britannian airships, another fleet lead by the Knights of the Round appeared from the battleship's rear. Up front, there was four strange Knightmares lurking in the darkness in front of three Britannian Dreadnoughts. One of them makes his announcement towards the allied ships of the New World.

"Attention all unauthorized vessels. This is Bismarck Waldstein, the Knight of one!" A deep voice spoke from one of the Knightmares. "We have blocked your escape routes. Surrender now or be neutralized!"

Inside the command bridge of the NSX, Zazu heard the deep voice out loud from the intercom. Panicking, the young mechanic struggled to make contact with Geo Metro, who is still aiding the Cephirians in covering their escape route to the portal.

"Geo, we've got trouble! Another fleet has appeared! What are your orders?! Geo answer me, we need orders!"

Despite Zazu's desperate plead for orders, he just realized that his commander isn't responding. Something isn't right.

"Guys, what's happening to the communication radio!" Zazu asked one of the Autozamian officers.

"Zazu, our communications are down. Someone has breached our ship and shut down our radio systems!" One of the officers reported in a frightened tone.

Before Zazu could say anymore, an explosion erupted from doors behind him. As the doors flung out, Prince Clovis appeared with an Assault Rifle in his hands. Behind him, a squad of 10 Britannian Marines appeared all armed to the teeth.

"FREEZE!" Clovis shouted at the top of his lungs.

Frightened and leaderless, Zazu and the rest of the Autozamian crew had all put their hands up, in fearing for their lives.

"I'm taking over this battleship." Clovis announced as he ordered his men to restrain Zazu and his fellow crewmen.

Back at the prison area, Topaz and Vileta are getting exhausted after fighting each other for more than 10 minutes. Before any of them could make another move against one another, Topaz's intercom started acting up.

"Commander, we've got all of our people out of the prison area. Rendezvous to our extraction point. We're getting out of here!" Ferio's voice spoke in Topaz's ear.

"Yes, your highness!" Topaz said as he tried to flee.

"I don't think so!" Viletta hissed as she pulled out a taser from underneath her tunic and fire it right behind Topaz's back.

The moment the tazer shots struck Topaz, he screamed as he collapsed onto the floor. As the Cephirian Commader started twitching while under shock, Viletta pinned him to the ground and hand-cuffed him.

"You're coming with us!"

As the Magic Knights arrived at the Sakuradite Gateway, they see that the Black Knights have done their job to aid the Cephirians. When the Black Knights were done, Kallen and her squad went back to the gateway to finish escorting their native allies there. However, just before Ferio is able to issue out orders to his surviving men, they see Zero's Gawain get shoved out of the Bureau by an huge orange, ball-like Robot. The moment Hikaru sees Zero's Gawain on sight, she immediately hears Zero's voice coming through her ear-bud.

"Lady Hikaru, I'm leaving all matters in your hands. Have Diethard and Tohdou resume their duties."

"What are you going to do?" Hikaru asked, feeling confused on where Zero/Lelouch is getting at.

"There is something more important that requires my attention elsewhere." Zero replied. "I won't respond to any further communications after that!"

"Zero, you can't be serious! You're not going to leave us here, are you?!" Hikaru said in shock.

"LADY HIKARU, the Bureau's defenses went back onlin-GYAAAHHHHH!" One of the Cephirian Soldiers screamed in terror before his channel went into static.

The moment the Bureau's defenses went back online, gun turrets started shooting down both the Black Knights and the Cephirian Army before them. While several Cephirian Knightmares raised their towers shields to defend themselves against the hail of bullets, the Black Knight Burais went into cover behind the wreckage.


	26. Epilogue: Sacrificed Freedom, New Dawn

"This is bad!" Ferio shouted in panic as he felt his Knightmare taking heavy fire before he activated his core Luminous shield. "We overstayed our welcome! We need to have someone stay behind to shut down the gateway for good while the rest of us leave through the portal!"

"I may have hostage situation back at the NSX!" Geo added in as he spoke from inside his GTO. "I can't make contact Zazu Torque or any of my crew members. I'm heading back to the ship!"

As Geo's Mecha took to the skies and headed towards the NSX, the Magic Knights stood by with their merged Rune God at the ready.

"Get out while you all still can, we'll holding them off here!" Hikaru ordered her Cephirian friends as she and her comrades fired a Spiral Flash at the Bureau, blasting several wall-mounted turrets all at once.

"You can't stay here, Magic Knights!" Clef said, feeling concerned with the girls from the other world. "They'll have this place retaken very soon."

"Clef, this is our home!" Umi said from inside the fused Rune God. "We'll help the Black Knights stand their ground here!"

"We'll, if you're going to stand your ground here, then so are we!" Clef replied as he fired an electrical beam at several oncoming Britannian Sutherlands with his Knightmare's wizard staff.

"Clef's right!" Ferio added in as he used his communication channel inside his Green Ranger to contact the Cephirian Captain of the guard. "Lafarga, get the rest of our men out of here. We'll be right behind you!"

"Understood!" Lafarga replied through Ferio's channel. "All Cephirian forces, head back to Cephiro immediately!"

Without hesitation, the Cephirians who weren't shot down by the Britannian Knightmares or the Bureau's defenses headed towards the Sakuradite Gateway and disappeared back into the New World. But for those who weren't able to make it to the Gateway in time were brought down by the might of the Britannian Knightmares.

Up in the clouds, Aska and the twin Princesses of Chizeta have all received word that the captured Cephirians are finally escorted out of Area 11 and back to the New World. Realizing that their mission is done, the Princesses have all gave the word to have their ships jump into hyperspace, disappearing before the Fleet commanded by the Knights of the Round could reach them.

On the other side of the Bureau, just when Ascot's Monolith and his pet beasts were able to gain the upper hand against the Glaston Knights, with the help of Caldina's Dancing Siren, Presea's Smitherite, Lafarga's Lancelot Blitz, and Lantis' Black Crusader, the Britannians were reinforced by the Knights of the Round and their forces. The Smitherite and the Dancing Siren spotted an unknown bulky, red Knightmare that fired a four-barrelled Hadron Cannon at them. In a panic, the Smitherite and Dancing Siren barely had enough time to evade it when the Hadron Beams flew a mere inch from were both of the Cephirian Knightmares are standing a few seconds earlier.

"W-What is that?" Presea gasped as she looked closely at the shadowy Knightmare from the main camera inside her Knightmare.

Before Caldina could say anymore to Presea, the Glaston Knights have seized the opportunity to charge at the five Cephirian Customized Knightmares, along with the rest of their Britannian Knightmares, in hopes of overwhelming their position.

"Victory is within our reach! Be strong!" Claudio shouted in a confident tone.

As the Britannian Knightmares opened fire with the aid of the Knights of the Round, Lafarga gave the order to flee into the Sakuradite Gateway.

"Everyone, fall back to the Gateway! HURRY!" Lafarga shouted as he steered his Lancelot Blitz away from the encroaching Britannians.

Just when Lafarga, Caldina, and Presea were able to escape capture by the Britannian forces, Ascot's Monolith recalls both of his beasts but not before he gets intercepted by a huge, strange red Knightmare. Before Ascot could see what was coming at him, the Palu Summoner was met with a powerful hadron beam that blasted both of the Monolith's legs and landspinners, making his Knightmare fall onto its stomach, badly damaged.

"ASCOT!" Caldina shrieked as she tried to turn her Knightmare around in hopes of rescuing a downed Ascot.

Before she could get anywhere close to Ascot's Knightmare, she was met with another barrage of red missiles coming from the red, bulky Knightmare only for Caldina to steer both left and right in swift, evasive manuevers.

"Caldina get out of here! Go on without me!" Ascot pleaded for the Chizetian dancer's safety. "I'll just slow you down!"

Before Caldina could say anymore, she barely had time to dodge red, bulky Knightmare's four barrelled Hadron Cannon. Unable to do anything for Ascot at the moment, Caldina had no choice but to continue to flee with her Knightmare as tears came down her face.

"Ascot, you idiot!" Caldina muttered inside her head as she disappeared into the darkness.

For Ascot, the Glaston Knights went up behind the Monolith and had all of their guns drawn on it.

"Come on out with your hands up, Cephirian!" Claudio shouted from inside his Knightmare.

With no other option, Ascot reluctantly did as Claudio said as he came out of his cockpit and put his hands behind his head. Behind the Glaston Knights, the red, bulky Knightmare descended from the skies and landed on the ground softly. The moment the Knightmare opened up its cockpit, a young girl with pale skin, red eyes, and thick light pink hair with bangs appeared before Ascot. The moment the girl jumped off her Knightmare and landed softly on the ground, she drew out her handgun before pointing it at the Palu Summoner.

"Cephirian, we like you to meet Lady Anya Alstreim, the Knight of six!" Claudio retorted. "Don't get any funny ideas, boy. She may be young for a Knightmare pilot, but her Mordred will blast through anything ten times bigger with her Stark Hadron Cannon!"

"So, he must be one of the natives of the New World trying to oppose our Empire!" Anya retorted in a emotionless expression, still holding Ascot at gunpoint. "How pathetic!"

For Lantis, after taking down several more enemy Sutherlands with the aid of Tohdou's Gekka, he and the Lt. Colonel get a run in with an unidentified Knightmare carrying a drilling lance with one hand and with a shield that shoots out missiles in the other. As the Black Crusader and the Gekka attempted to attack the unknown Knightmare, it made a huge thrust attack with its spinning-like jousting weapon, followed by several powerful blasts coming from its Hadron Cannons mounted in both of its knees. Upon impact, the Gekka and Black Crusader got flung off-balance and blasted while pinned on the ground, making Lantis and Tohdou unable to get up.

"Well, well, well!" The sinister voice cackled from the unknown Knightmare. "It seems that the natives of the New World are helping out the filthy lowly Elevens fight back, but in such useless efforts. Tell me, who do you value the most in your pitiful life?!"

Before either Tohdou or Lantis could answer, several more Britannian Knightmares surrounded them from all sides with their Assault Rifles and missiles aiming directly at the Lt. Colonel and the Magic Swordsman.

* * *

Back at the Sakuradite Gateway, Caldina, Lafarga, and Presea were able to reach the area with all of their Knightmares intact. However, Umi notices that several of their other friends are missing.

"Caldina, where's Ascot and the others?"

"Ascot stay behind to buy us some time!" Caldina answered in a solemn tone. "We don't know what happened to Lantis or Topaz!"

"We'll find them. We can't let them fall under enemy hands!" Hikaru announced with determination.

"Hikaru, that's suicide. They'll outnumber us by dawn!" Caldina protested fearfully.

"Ms. Caldina, we need to help our friends whatever the cost!" Fuu added in. "We need to get them to the gateway before the Britannians get closer."

"Hikaru, I'll be going on ahead too." Kallen announced towards the Flame Knight as she appeared before them with her Guren. "I received word from Ohgi to go after Zero. I'm sure there has to be a reason why would Zero leave us so suddenly. I may need your help too."

"Kallen, I have to stay behind to get all of the Cephirians out of here before they get captured by the enemy." Hikaru said, denying Kallen's request. "You have to do this without me!"

"But Hikaru..." Kallen protested before getting interrupted by the Flame Knight's speech.

"Just go. You're wasting time!" Hikaru said, as Caldina, Lafarga, and Presea disappeared into the portal.

Without saying another word, Kallen's Guren gets mounted into an air transport before disappearing into the dawning sky.

"Ferio, Clef, let's go get the rest of our comrades back!" Hikaru shouted from inside the merged Rune God.

As the the Green Ranger and the Archwizard followed Rayearth into the rubble outside of the Government Bureau, they see several Black Knight squads and a dozen more Cephirian stragglers and their calvary get taken down by the charging Britannian Knightmares. In the ensuing chaos, the Sharpenal Cannon and the Ballista Cannon have both been blown into smithereens by the Knightmares belonging to the Knights of the Round. Just when the Green Ranger and the Archwizard pressed forward, Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu looked back over their shoulders and see something that made their eyes widened with panic.

A squad of Britannian Sutherlands are trying to make their attempt to follow the last escaping Cephirian Gloucester and horseman into the New World. The moment their eyes caught a glimpse of them heading towards the Sakuradite Gateway, the eyes of all three Magic Knights lit up in a red hue.

* * *

 _Earlier before the Magic Knights head out into battle, they were called in for a private meeting with Zero inside his makeshift G-1 mobile fortress. Just when they entered the mobile fortress' command bridge alone with Zero, his mask unveiled his right eye._

 _"As soon as all of the captured Cephirians escape through the portal, you all have to destroy it immediately in order to consider your sacrifice for the sake of your friends from the New World!" Zero ordered as he unleashed his Geass upon the unsuspecting Magic Knights._

 _As Zero's Geass went into Hikaru's, Umi's, and Fuu's minds, they all reacted with a positive acknowledgement, followed by a robotic speech._

 _"Yes, Commander Zero!" The Magic Knights said as they all saluted the Leader of the Black Knights._

* * *

"Forgive us, Clef!" The Magic Knights all said in unison before they called forth one of their powerful, fusion spells.

"SPIRAL FLASH!" The Magic Knights shouted in unison as their fused Rune God fired a red, blue, and green beam at the Sakuradite Gateway.

As their spell struck the gateway, it exploded into a fiery mess, taking down several huge structures and engulfed the enemy knightmare squad in a deadly conflagration. After seeing the Gateway completely destroyed, the Magic Knights knew that this will be the end of the Black Rebellion. Since they and the Black Knights have all served their purpose, they may have to flee Area 11 to fight another day or get captured and face execution. However, the Magic Knights decided to fight until their last breath, along with the Cephirians and allies who hadn't escaped Area 11 yet.

The moment the three Knightmares went in, they fought once more to help the surviving Black knights escape Britannia.

Ferio's Green Ranger fired several more of his energy arrows at 8 more enemy Sutherlands from his Long Bow until it's ammo was depleted. As soon as the Green Ranger dropped his ranged weapon, he drew out its Huge Scimitar and cut off two more Sutherlands by their waists.

Above the Green Ranger, the merged Rune God fired another Spiral Flash and drew out a line with it across a squad of five enemy Gloucesters. After the line is drawn, a mass explosion erupted in front of the Gloucesters, obliterating them in one go.

As soon as the Archwizard split up and head down a different direction apart from the Green Ranger, the wizard-like Knightmare started shooting out a torrent of electricity at the first Britannian Sutherland with its staff After that, the Archwizard fired an electrical wave from its left hand at a second enemy Sutherland. However, another two Briannian Sutherlands rose up in the downed Knightmare's place as they opened fired at the Archwizard. Before the Archwizard to raise its electrical shield up, a strange Knightmare came up to his side and whacked both of its arms off its limbs with its purple two-handed sword, much to Clef's horror. As the Archwizard collapsed onto its knees, the unknown Knightmare held its blade up to his throat.

"It's over, Cephirian!" Bismarck's voice spoke from inside the unknown Knightmare. "You're not going anywhere!"

Realizing that Clef's time is up, he can only pray that Hikaru, Umi, Fuu, Lantis, Ferio, Topaz, and Ascot are still hanging in there.

Meanwhile, after hearing that they have lost Tohdou, Senba, Asahina, and Nagisa moved in to aid the Lt. Colonel while Urabe made his attempt to help the surviving Black Knights flee back into the shadows of Area 11. On his way out, Urabe runs to Ferio's Green Ranger after hacking down another enemy Sutherland with its Scimitar. Before the Green Ranger could move on, Urabe's Gekka ran in front of the Green Knightmare.

"Ferio, we have to get out of here! Enemy reinforcements have arrived and we're sitting ducks here!" Urabe told the Cephirian Prince from inside his Knightmare.

"I'm not leaving here without Lantis and Topaz!" Ferio protested. "Especially not without Fuu!"

"They already got Lantis and Topaz!" Urabe said. "I heard it from an isolated communication channel."

Before Ferio could started protesting more, Urabe activated the isolated channel from his Gekka and transferred it to Ferio's Green Ranger's private channel.

 _"You won't get away with this, Baroness!" Topaz's exhausted voice spoke out from the channel._

 _"It was already done, Cephirian!" Viletta smirked. "The Knights of the Round have arrived thanks to me and Prince Clovis. Your pathetic rebellion for the sake of the New World is over! We win! Also, Sir Bradley was able to incapacitate and restrain a Sir Lantis and a Tohdou into his custody!"_

After Urabe turned off his private channel, Ferio stood there feeling completely stunned and horrified on where this is heading.

"What do you expect us to do then?!" Ferio asked in an enraged tone.

"The least we can do, is flee for our lives for now," Urabe suggested to the Cephirian Prince. "We'll find a way to rescue them all someday!"

"Well, I'm still not leaving without Fuu!" Ferio said persistently. "She's my first love!"

After the fused Rayearth blasted another squad of enemy Sutherlands with his "Spiral Barrage," three strange Knightmares appeared into the sky in front of him. One happens to be a strange jet-fighter that just transformed into a strange blue and white Knightmare with golden horns protruding from its head, a light-purple Knightmare with a huge yellow cross on its back, which is the very same one that captured Clef earlier unknown to the Magic Knights, and the other red Knightmare that neutralized Ascot's Monolith.

"I presume they must be the Knight Elevens aiding the New World against the Empire, eh?!" A confident voice spoke from the blue, horned Knightmare. "This should be interesting!"

"I wonder how long will it be holding up against our might!" Anya muttered to herself. "Let's find out shall we?!"

When the red Knightmare deployed its Stark Hadron Cannon, which was fused from two sets latched onto its shoulders, Anya fired the cannon straight at the fused Rayearth. In efforts to counter-attack such a powerful beam, the Magic Knights fired a Spiral Flash at it. The moment both beams converged into each other, a massive explosion erupted in mid-air. As the fused Rayearth hovered backwards, the purple Knightmare charged forward and made its first move upon the merged Rune God with its sword. In a split second, the fused Rayearth drew out its light-force sword and parried against the purple Knightmare's two-handed sword.

Before Rayearth could fight back, all three Magic Knights started receiving electrical jolts coming from inside their bodies. It turns out that they have overused their newly founded powers due to the risk Rakshata mentioned when using her evolution orbs.

"W-What's happening, I-I can't move a-a-anymore!" Umi gasped as she went in and out of consciousness. After several more seconds of pain and lack of breath, Umi went out cold.

Fuu wasn't able to figure out what was going on before her world went black after feeling her muscles cramp in an electrical, burning sensation.

"Umi. F-Fuu, I'm s-sorry!" Hikaru said before she tired herself out and lost consciousness.

As the Rune God started having electrical convulsions erupting all over its body, the Magic knights descended from their flight and collapsed onto the ground on their stomachs, leaving the three Knights of the Round confused on where this is going.

"What just happened?!" The burly voice spoke from the purple Knightmare.

"It seems that they have exhausted themselves from their previous fight in the Tokyo Settlement!" Gino assumed. "No matter, we'll take them all as our prisoners back at Pendragon, along with the natives of the New World."

As soon as the GTO reached the NSX, Geo spots oncoming fire heading straight at him from his own battleship.

"WHAT HELL?" Geo shrieked as he raised his shield up, protecting the GTO from getting blasted.

When the oncoming beams and missiles struck the GTO's shield, the green mecha flew all over the place while trying to get closer to see why would his ship turn against him. Before Geo could say anything, four unidentified Knightmares flew in from behind the Autozamian Commander and restrained him with their binding harkens, making his cockpit vibrate abruptly.

"UGH! What is this?" Geo gasped in confusion.

"Hello there!" The sly voice spoke from inside the strange, bulky Knightmare.

As Geo looked up, he sees a Britannian Knightmare from the main screen inside his cockpit. It had large cones mounted on its wrists, and is armed with a Quad-like claw that can turn into a Particle Drill Lance, and a shield-like missile launcher.

"Who the hell are you?!" Geo asked in anger. "What the hell did you do to my ship?"

"That was your ship?" The taunting voice said back. "Sorry pal, it's our ship now. Who do value the most in your pitiful life other than that thing?!"

"YOU!" Geo snarled as his GTO was being restrained against his own will.

"I would've tried to end your life here. However, I've been given orders by Prince Clovis to have you and your crew captured and taken to Pendragon."

"Clovis?! How did he...?" Geo gasped, only for his speech to get interrupted by an electrical jolt coming from the restraints tied around his GTO. After he screamed in pain, Geo fell unconscious on top of his control panel as his GTO gets powered down.

"Good work, Valkyrie Squadron! We'll bring in this native commander into our custody, along with the rest of the insignificant slime!"

"Yes my lord!" The female voices spoke from inside their Knightmares.

After fighting their way through the city and out of the Tokyo Settlement, Ferio, Urabe, and a handful of Black Knights turned to look back at the destruction they have all caused when fighting their way to the Britannian Government Bureau. As Ferio looked closely at the surroundings from the Green Ranger's main camera, he spots the merged Rune God get towed away by two of the strange Knightmares belonging to the Knights of the Round.

"NO! FUU!" Ferio screamed in terror as he tried to go back.

Unfortunately, Urabe's Gekka caught up to Ferio's Green Ranger and grabbed him by the waist. In the ensuing struggle, the Green Ranger started burning out its landspinners while Urabe's Gekka desperately tried to hold him still as he pressed its feet onto the concrete floor.

"We can't do anything for them anymore!" Urabe told the Cephirian Prince. "We just got lucky that we were able to escape the Knights of the Round while they're distracted. You've already pushed your luck too far. This fight is over!"

"LET ME GO!" Ferio screamed further as he started flailing in a panic while being held down by Urabe's Gekka, along with two more surviving Black Knight Burais. "FUU IS STILL OUT THERE!"

"You should be grateful that Lady Fuu, Lady Umi, and Lady Hikaru are able to buy us all time to escape!" Urabe told Ferio. "Right now, we need to meet up with Kallen first. We do that, then we'll plan in rescuing all of our allies and Zero! I can't say for sure when, but we'll do it if the time is right!"

"I hope you're right about that, Urabe!" Ferio said as he glared at Urabe's Gekka after they released him from their grip. "But if something happens to them while under Britannia's custody, I'll make you regret it getting in my way!"

After listening to Ferio's warning, Urabe, and a few Black Knight squads fled back into the shadows outside of the Tokyo Settlement. As for Ferio, he turned around to see the place where he last saw Fuu at and made a vow to himself that someday, he will come back for her very soon. After looking at Area 11 for a few more minutes, Ferio turned around to face towards the direction where the Black Knights are and steered his Knightmare away from the battlefield before disappearing.

After the battle at the Tokyo Settlement is over, the Knights of the Round went in to secure the Government Bureau and escorting the wounded onboard their ships while sending all of their dead soldiers to the morgue where they'll be given proper burials by tomorrow morning. However, Cornelia disappeared after getting defeated by the Magic Knights when being spared from her death. With that said, no one is sure where did Cornelia went off too. Rumor has it that she is planning to find a way to head back to the New World to rescue her sister, while some say that she fled to the east to find answers for questions that are hard to believe. As for Lord Guilford, he was being shipped to the Bureau to be treated of his injuries and his Knightmare being tuned up for some upgrades later on, while the remains of Cornelia's Knightmare was being salvaged for spare parts to use in the future.

All around the war-torn city, there were wrecked Cephirian, Black Knight, and Britannian Knightmares all over the place. Some where ripped apart from limb to limb while others were caught on fire after getting blasted during the fight. As for the corpses of the pilots that were inside their designated Knightmares, they were either vaporized in the resulting explosions or completely charred and reduced into skeletons, with nothing but shreds of clothes and damaged armor plates on their bones. Without further a due, battle is lost for the Black Knights and Cephiro's Alliance.

For the surviving Black Knights that weren't able to escape the Tokyo Settlement or through the Sakuradite Gateway, they were taken prison by the Glaston Knights and their squads in Area 11. Now that the Sakuradite Gateway has been destroyed, the Britannians can no longer invade Cephiro anymore. Since they have captured the NSX, they decided to have it towed all the way to Pendragon where they'll be storing the battleship in one of Britannia's hangars, until they can find a way to rebuild their gateway at the Bureau in the Tokyo Settlement.

As for the Magic Knights and their Cephirian followers, they've all been detained and taken to the Avalon where they'll meet their fate in Pendragon.

While Hikaru was getting taken onboard their ship, she sees Commander Topaz, Geo Metro, Lantis, Ascot, Clef and about 25 of their men get brought down to their knees while being ordered to put their hands behind their heads, with the Britannians stripping them of their weapons, armor, and Knightmares. After that, they've been forced to put on their prison straight-jackets before heading onboard the Avalon.

As for Hikaru and the Magic Knights, they got their magic gloves taken away before being forced to put on their prison jumpsuits. In front of the Magic Knight trio, they see Prince Schneizel el Britannia and Prince Clovis being accompanied by the Glaston Knights at the ship ramp of the Avalon.

"So, are you all going to beg of mercy once the Emperor decides your fate?" Clovie sneered as he looked straight at Hikaru in the eye.

"You wish!" Hikaru hissed before being restrained by one of the Britannian Marines behind her. "You won't be seeing the last of us, yet!"

"Get them out of here!" Clovis ordered his guards.

Upon hearing the 2nd Britannian Prince's orders, the Britannian Marines dragged Hikaru and the Magic Knights onboard the Avalon without saying another word, along with the rest of their friends from the New World. After that, Schneizel and Clovis went onboard the Avalon before the ship took off. As for the Knights of the Round, they decided to help Lord Guilford find another new Viceroy to take control of Area 11 once again, as well as cleaning up the mess that the Black Rebellion made.

Unbeknownst to most of the Britannians, Mokona snuck onboard the Avalon like a sneaky little rat in silence v.i.a through the ship's ventilation shaft. The moment the Avalon took off, Mokona crawled through the vents and went into the ship's storage room. After looking around to find a safe place to hide in the storage room, Mokona found an ammo crate near the gun cabinets and stuffed himself inside the crate. As Mokona hid inside the crate, it casted a spell on itself so that none of the ship's crew will hear or see him while doing their duties around the ship. In Mokona's mind, he comes up with a one-daring plan to rescue the Magic Knights before they could rescue the other Cephirians that were captured by Britannia.

Meanwhile back in the New World, a small cottage in the Forest of Silence is seen in the middle of a cleaning within the woods. Inside, there was Euphy who is now dressed up in a white and pink maid outfit, with her pink hair tied into a single, long ponytail. While she went outside to watch the birds flew above the meadows, Darlton preparing dinner for the two. He replaced his Britannian military uniform with a ragged white shirt with a brown coat on top of it, red peasant trousers, and grey boots. The moment Euphy and Darlton entered the New World of Cephiro, they snuck into a nearby village and stole some clothes from a nearby clothesline before seeking refuge at a nearby abandoned cottage. Dartlon spent most of his time hunting animals for food while Euphy went to pick some flowers to use as a decoration around the cottage.

As Euphy lay on her back on top of the meadows and looked up at the sky above her, she couldn't help but think about what would ever become of Mt. Fuji and all of Area 11 after being told that she was attacked by assassins, unaware that is was a white lie. After seeing a flock of birds pass by, Euphy is wondering if her brothers and sisters are still worried about her safety.

In just a half an hour later when the sun is setting, Darlton appeared from the forest right behind Princess Euphemia.

"Euphy, dinner is ready," The ex-general told the undercover Britannian Princess.

The moment Euphy got back up on her feet and turned to face Darlton, she asked her escort about everything that she has been through after she meet Hikaru in person.

"Do you think we'll ever find a way to help restore peace between Britannia and the natives of the New World someday?"

"I can't say for sure!" Darlton said, feeling lost in his own thoughts. "The Magic Knights of the New World may have been our enemy for quite some time, but it's hard to believe that they have people that trusted them from the other side. However, now that I know about them more than ever before, they may not be bad people after all."

"I kind of missed Cornelia and Schneizel already!" Euphy said, feeling a bit lonely for being in Cephiro without her siblings by her side this time. "In fact, I missed Hikaru already too. I hope she did the right thing when facing Cornelia again."

"One can only help my dear," Darlton imagined. "But for now, we have to lay low here in the Forest of Silence."

"Can we at least visit the Castle of Cephiro to see if Hikaru was able to succeed in saving the Cephirians?" Euphy asked Darlton.

"I don't see why not?!" Darlton replied in a reluctant tone of voice. "Then again, we still need to keep a low-profile, just so that your killers don't find you here in Cephiro."

After Darlton finished his conversation with her, Euphy nodded her head as they both left the meadows. On the next day, both Euphy and Darlton arrived at the Castle gates, both wearing brown cloaks to hide themselves away from the public. As they reached the courtyard, an announcement was being held there. Up ahead, the two undercover Britannians see a huge concrete stage in front of the Castle itself. Before they knew it, the Cephirians have all gathered in front of the stage, unaware of Darlton's and Euphy's presence. After a few minutes of murmurs, Lafarga approached the stage, with Caldina, Presea, Tarta, Tatra, Lady Aska, Sang Yung, and Qiang Ain sitting behind the Guard Captain. Above them, a huge banner bearing Cephiro's Emblem starts to unfold, hanging from the Castle's balcony. For the Cephirian guardsmen, two of their regiments are stationed in front of the Captain's both left and right sides on top of the stage. As for the Cephirian Knightmares including the Lancelot Blitz, Dancing Siren, and the Smitherite, they stood behind the leaders of the New World, excluding the ones from Autozam. As soon as Lafarga raised his hand towards the crowd, demanding silence, he makes his speech in front of all the people of Cephiro.

"Citizens of Cephiro, we have came back after an great battle that took place in Area 11!" Lafarga announced at the start of his speech. "In the ensuing fight, the Magic Knights, our heroes from the other world, have stayed behind and fought vailiantly to stop the enemy from following us. It was since that time, they have destroyed the gateway that bridged a connection between our world and theirs. Just like that, our country is saved once again thanks to our devoted Magic Knights. However, their valor, heroism, and honor did not come without a price! Some of our leaders fighting alongside the Magic Knights did not make it back to the New World, including Prince Ferio of Cephiro, and are presumed captured. The only thing we can do right now is pray that they'll find their way back to our home. Not today, not tomorrow, but someday they will even if it takes more than a year. Also, someday we'll find a way to make peace with the Britannian Empire but for now we'll stay away from their presence. And for that, we shall endure the dawn of the New Cephiro until we can find a way back to the Magic Knight's world in order to rescue our comrades who are still trapped in enemy territory."

"LEAD US AGAINST THE BRITANNIANS LORD LAFARGA!" One of the citizens shouted with encouragement. "We must save our comrades from the other world!"

"We won't let the sacrifice of the Magic Knights be in vain!" Another Cephirian spoke out loud.

"We'll make them pay for what they did to our country! I swear to the name of Princess Emeraude!" Lafarga shouted as he raised his sword up high. "FOR CEPHIRO! AND FOR THE ALLIANCE!"

"FOR CEPHIRO! FOR THE ALLIANCE!" The entire crowd shouted as the Cephirian Knightmares and guards raised their weapons up high, ending Lafarga's speech.

After taking a good look at the people on top of the stage, Euphy and Darlton concluded that Hikaru and her friends did not make it back to Cephiro with Captain Lafarga. Feeling lost that Euphy will not be seeing Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu again, she turned away from the crowd and left the castle grounds, with Darlton following the undercover princess from behind.

"I know Hikaru will be back. Because I still believe in her good faith, not just to her fellow Japanese, not just to her Cephirian friends, but also to me!" Euphy thought to herself. "If I ever get back to Area 11, I'll try to make things right for her and my sister one day!"

One year later...

At Pendragon, the Britannian nobles have all gathered at the execution grounds taking place in the palace arena at the crack of dawn. After the nobles entered the arena and took their seats on the bleachers, several Britannian Sutherlands and Gloucesters are stationed all over execution grounds, with their guns drawn. In the middle of the execution grounds, there is the Magic Knights, wearing binding straight-jackets than rather their colorful armor. In a clearer view, all three of them were being tied up to the stakes before awaiting their trial for the instance of terrorism and witchcraft. In front of the Magic Knights, there's a royal booth stationed in between the bleachers. Inside, there is Suzaku Kururugi standing next to the Emperor of Britannian himself, Charles vi Britannia. This time, Suzaku is wearing a white Britannian uniform with gold trimmings and a blue cape hanging on top of his shoulders.

Earlier, he pursued Zero to clear Euphy's dishonored name after getting lured into another stasis field but was saved by Lloyd and Cecil. The moment he found Zero again, only to discover that it was Lelouch the entire time, he captured his former friend and brought him before the Emperor. It was since then that Suzaku Kururugi became the new member of the Knights of the Round, also known as the Knight of Seven.

As of now, Suzaku took a good look at his childhood friend-turned nemesis, Suzaku couldn't imagine if he made the right choice in stopping Hikaru in her tracks after the black rebellion. When Hikaru turned his attention towards Suzaku, she felt distraught that the Honorary Britannian can no longer be reasoned by her or her benefactors. After glaring at Suzaku in anger for a few minutes, the executioner makes his announcement in front of the Britannians as the drums started banging loudly. He was wearing a black hood covering up his entire face and a ragged set of black clothes marked with dried blood bloodstains received from the previous executions.

"These Eleven Knights from the New World are all being convicted for the crime of terrorism and witchcraft. Their sentence is death."

Upon hearing this, Umi and Fuu stared at the executioner in anger for not being able to get away from the Britannians. As the crowd of Britannians are crying out for their deaths, the executioner grabs a torch before approaching Hikaru first, who started smirking as if she's hiding something in her sleeve.

"Any last words, Eleven?!" The black masked executioner jeered.

"Bite me, loser!" Hikaru sneered as she spat on the executioner.

In a low growl, the executioner ignited the pyre below Hikaru's feet. The moment the executioner backed away, Hikaru turned to Umi and Fuu and gave them both a wink with her left eye. As she took a deep breath, the fire reached up to her legs. The moment the fire engulfed Hikaru completely, the executioner makes his moved towards Umi next. Below the bleachers, Mokona makes his appearance in the arena unnoticed. The moment the little white rabbit snuck closer to the burning pyre, using the sand as cover, he shoots out a yellow beam from the jewel on his forehead, the moment the jewel emerged from within the sand that Mokona is hiding under, and aimed it at where the burning figure is. The moment the beam struck the aflame figure, a red aura started glowing into a small ball of light inside the figure.

Suddenly, without warning however, the crowd started gasping in fear. Right behind the executioner, the figure that was caught on fire started to break out of her burning straitjacket while set aflame, with her right hand reaching out. Unknown to them, Mokona reactivated Hikaru's powers as he actually teleported her magic glove all the way inside her straitjacket before it tore apart. Much to everyone's horror, especially to Suzaku's and the Emperor's horror, the flaming figure stepped down from the burning pyre, ripped off the remains of her straitjacket, and approached the executioner from behind in fury. As for Umi and Fuu, they both smirked with delight as they see the aflame figure approach ominously at the executioner.

"WATCH OUT, BEHIND YOU!" One of the Britannian nobles shrieked in terror.

"What in the high...?!" The executioner said in confusion.

Just when the executioner turned around see what everyone else is seeing, he was met with a powerful fiery blast in the stomach. Upon impact, he was sent flying off the pyre and plummeted to the ground, followed by a ground explosion. The moment he hit the ground, the executioner started screaming in pain as the fire caught on his skin burned him alive. In just a few seconds, he succumbed to his burnt injuries.

"This is impossible!" Suzaku gasped in horror. "She should be burned to death by now!"

"There's a really good reason why Ms. Hikaru is proclaimed as the Magic Knight of Fire, Mr. Suzaku!" Fuu retorted. "You can't really kill her with fire, it'll just make her stronger!"

"She really is a witch from Area 11, isn't she?!" Emperor Charles said feeling a bit surprised after seeing this unexpected turn of events. "This should be interesting!"

The moment she turned towards Suzaku and Emperor Charles, a red flash enveloped the aflame figure and created a harmless, blinding explosion. After the fires disappeared, Hikaru appeared once again in the place where the aflame figure stood just now, fully restored and is wearing her set of Magic Knight armor with a v-like diadem on her her head, along with her magic glove attached to her right hand. The moment she drew out her sword, Hikaru cut the straitjackets off Umi and Fuu before they stepped out of their burning pyers.

"HEY! THOSE DAMN ELEVENS ARE TRYING TO ESCAPE!" One of the Britannian soldiers shout after seeing the Magic Knights stepped away from their burning stakes. "STOP THEM!"

The moment the Britannian Knightmares and Marines all drew out their weapons and aimed at the Magic Knights, Emperor Charles stood up from his seat, immediately raised his right hand before issuing an order at the top of his lungs.

"WAIT!" The Emperor exclaimed with his mighty voice. "Let the Knight of Seven deal with them!"

As the Emperor turned towards Suzaku, he nodded his head in front of the Knight of Seven.

"Sir Kururugi, go get e'm!"

"Yes, your majesty!" Suzaku acknowledged the Emperor's orders as he jumped off the Royal Booth and landed on his two feet in front of Hikaru and the Magic Knights.

As he marched towards Hikaru, he tossed his blue cape to the side, and drew out his Knightmare key. With just one click, he activated key as he summoned his Lancelot Conquista into the execution grounds. The Lancelot barged through the arena gate behind Suzaku as it drew out both of its MVS.

"If you want to do this the hard way Hikaru, then be my guest!" Suzaku hissed as he went into his Knightmare and gained control of his newly upgraded Lancelot.

Noticing that her former friend and enemy is going to be standing in her way again, Hikaru drew out her sword and called forth her Rune God Knightmare once again. As a red light blinked into the clear blue sky above Hikaru, Rayearth Alpha appeared once again behind the Knight of Fire. Realizing that a fight between both Elevens is about to begin, the frightened nobles immediately ran off and made for the exit, except for Emperor Charles and two of the other Knights of the Round.

The moment Hikaru went inside her Rune God, she drew out her sword as she gave out her orders to two of her best friends.

"Umi, Fuu, find a way out of here and go rescue our friends. I'll meet up with you guys later!"

Without saying another word, the two Magic Knights ran towards where Mokona was at. The moment they approached the little white rabbit, Mokona opened up a portal leading somewhere safe away. After seeing her friends disappear through the portal that Mokona created, Hikaru readied herself before facing Suzaku and the Lancelot once more. When both the Rune God and Knightmare raised their swords up high, they started circling around keep a close eye on each other before making a move.

"Suzaku, we can never leave our friends or our family behind!" Hikaru smirked as she aimed her sword at the Lancelot. "We all have a will fight for what we believe in. But since your Princess is gone, what do you really believe in, after you captured Zero and condemned him to death?!"

"I told you, I'll still change the world from the inside; that's the only thing I would believe in right now!" Suzaku said sternly as he maintained his guard while circling around Rayearth.

"Still trying to push it are you?! Let's do this, Knight of Seven!" Hikaru snarled as she is about to make her first move against Suzaku's Lancelot Conquista.

Without holding anything back, Rayearth's sword started charging up in a flaming aura before running towards where the Lancelot is standing. At the same time, Suzaku charged forward with the Lancelot as he attempted to lunge at Rayearth, with both of its MVS's preparing to strike at the Rune God from either side.

 _Before Rayearth or Lancelot could strike at each other with their blades, the entire screen froze in its place as it leaves behind the questionable fate that will decide two of the greatest warriors originated from Area 11. Will Hikaru Shidou escape Britannia's grip in the preceding fight and meet up with the rest of her friends or will she get taken down by Suzaku Kururugi, the Knight of Seven?_

TO BE CONTINUED...

 **Disclaimer: There you have it ladies and gentlemen. The first crossover between MKR and CG. I'll be starting the second story of "Knight's Battlefront" somewhere in 2019. For now, just write some nice reviews. And if you have any questions about it, feel free to ask me through Private Messaging. Thank you for reading my fanfic and have a wonderful Merry Christmas!"**


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